Chapman Students making a difference at the OC Fair

By Sarah Van Zanten

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARS8ZqgU3j0&hl=en_US&fs=1]

They endured bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 55 Freeway, filled with excitement as the minutes wore on, then inched their way to the Orange County Fairgrounds.  They jumped out of their car, grabbed their children’s books and headed straight for a special place.

Guyra Kaplan De Castro ’11, Katie Reynolds ’11 and friends had finally arrived at their destination — the “We Care Wednesdays” donation booth at the
Orange County Fair
and were ready to do their part. Wednesday, July 28, was book-drive day, when fair-goers were treated to free admission plus one carnival ride for the donation of one new or three gently used children’s books.  The books were donated to the
Orange County Department of Education
and
BookEnds
.

“It’s a fun way to be able to donate and have a great time doing it,” said Kaplan. “It made me feel good that it was going toward a good cause, and getting into the fair free was a plus!”

After receiving their complimentary admission tickets, the students went straight for the carnival rides.  None of them had ever been to the OC Fair before, and they wanted to start with the head-throwing rides before sampling the crazy deep-fried food.

Some of Kaplan’s favorite rides were Tango, the Big Drop and the bumper cars.  From the ground, Tango doesn’t look too bad for the average roller-coaster rider.  The tripod-shaped mechanism slowly lifts riders into the air, and each arm begins to spin while the entire machine spins separately.  Passengers go upside down, around and around, and realize quickly that it is not a ride for the faint of heart.

“Tango was awesome. It was a little creepy because you spin around in a circle both vertically and horizontally. Everyone is just screaming and laughing, and it was a lot of fun.  Tango is the BEST roller coaster I have ever gone on, it was well worth the eleven tickets,” Kaplan said.

Bumper cars are an all-time favorite.  Whether you’re with family, friends or a date, crashing into others at ridiculous speeds is always a great time.

Weird food is a fair tradition, too. After surveying the deep-fried  extravaganza, Kaplan decided to have a deep-fried Snickers bar.

“It looked like a corn dog but was very crispy on the outside.  I stared at it for a minute, and then nervously took my first bite,” said Kaplan.  “The caramel on the inside was extra gooey and sticky but it was delicious.”

The fair is a fun and exciting place for people of all ages and will always bring a smile — except when it’s time to go!

The Orange County Fair continues Wednesdays-Sundays through Aug. 15.  This week, the Wednesday, Aug. 4,  noon-to-6 p.m. deal offers fair-goers free admission and a carnival ride with the donation of five pieces of gently used clothing.