People waited for a chance to ride a camel in Bosco Student Plaza in a line that stretched around the side of the K-State Student Union Wednesday afternoon. Students, parents and young children were all in attendance.
The event, dubbed “Hump Dayy,” as a play on the Internet memes and a popular television commercial, was hosted by the Union Program Council. The event lasted from 4-8 p.m. and was part of a project UPC does every semester in which the organization hosts a free event with the intention of helping students forget about the stress of school for a while, Molly Young, UPC community co-chair and junior in marketing, said.
“We wanted this to be a de-stresser from finals and studying,” Young said. “It’s something we wanted people to bring their friends to and have a good time.”
Wichita State University put on the same event in September 2015, and when UPC heard about it, they thought it would be an interesting event to bring to K-State, Young said.
The camels were provided by Joe’s Camels, a family-owned business out of Adair, Oklahoma, Young said. The business has been providing camel rides for different events for almost 20 years and are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Joe’s Camels’ website.
A large table of refreshments was provided for people waiting in line, and a hand-washing station was also available for people after rides.
The event was well-received by people in attendance as evidenced in the length of the line and the feedback organizers got back from participants, Hannah Vu, UPC community co-chair and junior in mass communications, said.
“It’s going really, really good,” Vu said. “A lot of people are giving us 10s (on the evaluation forms), so that’s good. We have snacks for people waiting in line so they’re not just waiting in line, and the people waiting are talking and having a good time.”
Katie Dirks, senior in family studies and human services, rode a camel during the event. Dirks said the event allowed her a chance to do something unique and to have some fun before finals week begins.
“I think it was really fun,” Dirks said. “It was a cool experience that I have never been able to do before.”
