The second annual New Front Block Party gave students living in Engleman, Prentice, Verder and Dunbar Halls a chance to meet more people and discover new organizations at Prentice Wednesday, Sept. 3.

“Games and music were set up for students to enjoy, dining services catered and a few campus organizations came out,” said Dylan Welles, a sophomore electronic media major and a RA for the fourth floor of Verder Hall.

The block party was planned so students could gain some information about dorm life and what organizations they can be become involved with.

Matthew Gilkerson, a senior advertising major and returning RA for Engleman, said he is an advocate for getting involved.

“Seeing RA’s at other tables with their organizations might make the residents say, ‘Hey how do you get all this on your plate and still handle it well?’” Gilkerson said.

Tiffany Tyree, the resident hall director for Verder and Engleman halls, said the event was to get students to come out and really get to know each other and just interact with the various residents from the buildings.

“We played corn hole earlier and it was really fun,” freshman fashion design major Melanie Martin said. “It’s really big where I’m from, so it was like a home kind of thing.”

The event also has a history to it, as it took place in honor of Leah Carothers, a Kent State residence hall director for Verder and Engleman who passed away last November.

“She had been the hall director for about ten years and she had this idea last year to plan a fun event for this part of campus,” John Hummell, resident hall director of Prentice and Dunbar Halls said.

“Tiffany [Tyree] and I both felt that we needed to carry on with this, with Leah’s idea to start with the block party. We wanted to dedicate it to her and keep it going in her memory,” Hummell said.

Many of the returning RAs also wanted to continue with it and were just as excited about planning it.

“It’s cool because we did this event last year,” Gilkerson said. “We’re just so happy to be here.”

The entire staff of Prentice, Verder, Dunbar and Engleman Halls helped plan the event.

“It’s an area of campus, it’s not just one hall or one person,” Hummell said.

Contact Carolyn Pippin at [email protected].