Trying the “Taste of Naz”

Trying+the+Taste+of+Naz

Maggie Roache, Staff Writer

Homecoming week. A time of madness, trying to remember when the bids for the dance are due, which day you are supposed to dress with a twin, and where you’re going for pictures before the dance. For student council, it is crunch time as they place the finishing touches on possibly their biggest event of the year. This year, student council has added another event to their already jam-packed itinerary, the “Taste of Naz.”

Sorting through homecoming t-shirts, senior Devinne Love jokes with Ms. Gurney about how she has been spending so much time in guidance recently, it has become like an office to her. As secretary of student council, Devinne has spent every spare second helping to organize homecoming events. Specifically, she has helped to organize something new this year, the after walk “Nazfest.” After the walk is finished, students and other members of the neighborhood are invited to stay until one o’clock for this “Post Walk Party.”

“We tried making it like a music festival,” says Devinne, “so we have two bands performing and then we hired vendors…and then we have two drink stations for anybody who wants to do that.” The “Taste of Naz” will include a variety of vendors, such as Fontano’s deli, HB Jones, Home Run Inn, Tropical Sno, Jamba Juice, Gimme Cupcakes, Salsaria, and a variety of drink vendors. Student council members aren’t the only ones excited for this new after walk party; the student body also has expressed enthusiasm. Maddy Schierl, a freshman at Nazareth, said, “I think it’ll be fun to hang out with my friends and have some food.”

There will also be live music–the Eddy Ashe Band and the Art of Cool–at the “Nazfest,” which has everyone excited. Maddy agreed with this, saying, “I thought it was really interesting that they’d have live music, and I was interested in who it was.” The “Nazfest” was an idea based off of the popular music festivals of the summer. As it all came together, Devinne realized this, saying, “I went to [The Taste of Chicago] this summer, so that’s kind of what it reminded me of immediately, because you have bands performing, you have vendors.”

Student council has been preparing for this event since the summer with high expectations which Devinne expressed, “Well our idea of the summer was to do bigger and better…so we just wanted to make homecoming the best it could be.” Maddy Schierl agreed. “I think it sounds fun…and it’s a good lead into homecoming,” she stated.

The post-walk party is planned to start around 10:30 a.m., but will really begin as students complete the walk. Attendance is free at the “Nazfest” and vendors have priced most items at $5 or less. The “Taste of Naz” is planned to go until one o’clock.

Will the “Nazfest” become a new tradition at Nazareth? The students seem excited about it, and think it, along with the walk, is the perfect way to kick off homecoming weekend. Devinne also has high hopes for the future saying, “I want it to become an annual thing, more vendors each year, bigger bands, stuff like that.”

The “Taste of Naz” appears to be the perfect compliment to the other homecoming events and offers students an opportunity to listen to music and relax with friends.