Harper students say 'Aloha' to new semester

It was 16 degrees outside Wednesday, but inside Harper College's student center there was plenty of warmth.

Students were welcomed back to a new semester with a full-blown Hawaiian beach party featuring a mechanical surfboard, hula dancers, name art, tropical henna tattoos, airbrushed T-shirts, and free food and beverages.

"Oh my gosh, that was a lot of fun, are you kidding me?" said Alexa Eaton of Crystal Lake, who joined the hula dancers onstage for an impromptu lesson. "I didn't expect to go up there and dance, but when I did the world went away, and I was in Hawaii."

Meanwhile nearby, students were trying their best to stay afloat aboard a mechanical surfboard.

"It was super fun, I'm going to keep trying till I defeat it," said Steven Frett of Cary.

"It's really no match for me."

The special event was sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement, the Student Activities Board and the One-Stop Center and was presented in part by the Harper College Student Activity Fund.