By Bailey Musselman '18

"I came for the food, but stayed for the people," said Chloe Salk of this year's PrairieFire Fest, an evening of laughter, food, and fun on the south lawn of Old Main.

Knox College student-athletes, with the help of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, hosted the event, where students, faculty, and staff gathered for a cookout. After conversing over great food, the student-athletes invited everyone to play a variety of games, including throwing footballs at tackling dummies, wheelbarrow races, and knocking down bottles with baseballs.

Joy Kannookaden '18 is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, as well as a member of the Prairie Fire cross country and track and field teams. Kannookaden was grateful to see the student-athletes represented at PrairieFire Fest.

"As a part of SAAC committee, we [athletes] are trying to create more of a presence on campus. Looking at all the teams here really helps to promote community at Knox," said Kannookaden.

Val Varanese '19, a recent record-breaker for the women's 100-meter dash for track and field, agreed with Kannookaden. "We're trying to promote awareness of all the sports teams. This event brings us all together so that we can continue to support each other and go to each other's events."

After knocking down two bottles with a single baseball, first-year student Bob Lallky '18 expressed his excitement about the carnival.

"It's cool seeing all the athletes work together to support each other, and I really appreciate them reaching out to non-athletes so we can all grow together as a community," he said.

"It's a good way to get the community together," Reshma Rajan 18 said about her first PrairieFire Fest. "I think it's awesome, and Knox should definitely do more events like this. You get a greater feel of what it means to be a part of the Knox community."