This raft race team used a long stick to push off the floor of the lake and gain momentum. PHOTO BY ASHLEY DIAZ.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, NSU’s 32nd annual Anything That Floats Raft Race took place at The Gold Circle Lake in front of the Horovitz Administration Building from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This annual festivity is part of Homecoming Week and sees clubs and organizations all around campus create teams to race makeshift rafts across the lake.
The teams built their own rafts from scratch prior to the race. As per the name, this raft could have been anything, as long as it floated.
Joseph Dubner, senior marine biology major and president of the Nature Club, said his team built the entire raft the day before the race. “It was incredibly last minute,” Dubner said, just moments before the race. “It’s going to float. We’re the most motivated team, and we have a fantastic design.”
Dubner accredited his team’s motivation to the $3000 prize money, which is the award for the first-place team. The second-place team gets
$2000 and the third-place team gets $1000.
“If we win this prize money, the nature club will do a lot of cool trips,” Dubner said. “We’re talking about free admissions to parks, zoos and aquariums.”
Other teams had been planning for weeks for the race and building the raft.
“We spent the whole week before building the raft. We already had a whole plan, so it was just a matter of putting it together,” said Sierra Rafacz, sophomore marine biology major, whose team represented Greenhouse Campus Ministry. “It actually ended up being so much fun because none of us knew each other before the raft race so it was a good team bonding experience.”
Hailey Sanoir, sophomore behavioral neuroscience major, whose team represented All Women Everything, said preparing for the race brought a mix of emotions.
“Once we got to the end, I was really nervous, but overall, it was really fun,” said Sanoir.
Nadira O’Connell, freshman biology major, whose team represented the Caribbean Student Association, also said that preparing for the race was fun, though nerve-racking.
“It was fun and a little bit stressful trying to tape everything together, but working all together was really fun— being able to put this raft together to raise money for the club,” said O’Connell.
The race consisted of six rounds. The winning teams of the first five rounds competed against each other in the sixth round to determine the final winner.
The Ultimate Frisbee Club won the first round, Greenhouse Campus Ministry won the second round, NSU Wake 40 won the third round, the Scientific Research Club won the fourth round, and Phi Alpha Delta won the fifth round.
In the finalist round, NSU Wake 40 took home the grand prize, Ultimate Frisbee landed in second, and Greenhouse Campus Ministry was third.
“[The raft race] might look cheesy, but it was so worth it. Just having the whole school cheering for you on the sides as your team paddles as fast as possible, desperately hoping you won’t sink, is so fun,” Rafacz said.
Some of the other Homecoming events included the pep rally, the Special Olympics and the parade.
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