Students soared in a colorful hot air balloon Nov. 1 during the event hosted by the Student Activities Board.

The event was held at the intramural field where lines of students waited for their turn on the balloon. 

Before getting on the balloon, students had to sign a waiver and receive a wristband. While waiting in line, students were offered a free book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!,”  by Dr. Seuss. 

SAB graduate assistant Trey Massingill said the hot air balloon was supposed to be brought to campus last spring, but was canceled due to inclement weather.

“We tried to bring it last spring, but unfortunately, the weather had it canceled. So we wanted to do it again this year, but it’s kind of something SAB is all about, like bringing new experiences for students,” Massingill said. “We want to offer these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and how often do you get to ride in a hot air balloon? This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity and a lot of the other SABers did. So we thought it would be cool.”

SAB public relations chair and sophomore Preslee Galloway said she was “terrified” being in the balloon. 

“It was also a really cool experience,” Galloway said. 

Massingill said, “I think the wonder of it all kind of outweighed how scared I am of heights.”

Neither Galloway nor Massingill had ever been on a hot air balloon, but they said they would do it again. 

Senior nursing major Jana Powell said she was “very nervous” before getting on the balloon, but felt better afterward.

“It really wasn’t that bad. It was actually fun seeing everything at UCA,” Powell said.

Powell said this was her first time experiencing a hot air balloon and she would “most definitely” do it again. 

Jennifer Perez, a junior nursing major, said she was “hyperventilating” and “very nervous” before her turn on the balloon.

After getting out of the balloon’s basket, she said, “Honestly, that wasn’t that bad, and that was fun. I wish it went higher, though.”

Powell said it is important for SAB to bring fun events like the hot air balloon to campus because “it gives us the opportunity to do things we wouldn’t usually be able to do.”

Krista Harper, a junior biology major, said events hosted by SAB are cheaper for students.

“Usually it’s [SAB events] cheaper too. It’s free,” Harper said. “Looking online, usually it’s like $500 just to do it.”

Harper was “terrified” before her turn but felt “a little calmer than before” after.

To bring the hot air balloon to campus, Massingill said they worked with a “middle agent.”

“This time, it was Kirkland Productions, and we saw that they had a connection to a hot air balloon company so we were like, ‘Hey, this is the best route for this. Let’s go through this company.’ They helped us quite a bit,” Massingill said. 

SAB’s next event, Canvas and Coffee, will be held 7-8 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Ronnie Williams Student Center ballroom.