The annual Welcome Back cruise, which has been going on the past 30 years, was a success Sept. 18 – 19.

Music, food and fun accompanied two star-studded nights among the black, silky waves of Lake Michigan aboard the infamous Milwaukee yacht, the Voyageur.

Once on the modern expedition yacht, participants were greeted with décor of film reels, gleaming stars and streaming silver, where they could mingle and enjoy the exquisite view of the Milwaukee shoreline.

People dined on pastas of tortellini and Alfredo, garlic butter and bread, an Italian herb salad, and finished with desserts of tiramisu and strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, cookies and brownies.

A dry cruise, they sipped pineapple juice and sodas and some took advantage of the chance to take memorabilia pictures with cardboard statues of Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart. Deanna McCloud, a student in Cosmetology revealed, “I actually loved it. This is my first time. It is very beautiful out here to see this view. I would like to do this again.” Darren Harrold, Animation student, was also a first-timer on the cruise. He found it to be, “Interesting, fun and I love meeting new people.”

Among a few staff and faculty, Rita Wood, Office of Student Life at Mequon campus, was there to help oversee the activities.

Wood explained how the Student Government comes up with the themes as they are student run and focused. Through the source of a planning key, a group of students involved go through various options of which kind of cruise they’d like to see happening this year.

Wood relayed, “It is getting a bit easier. Wood stated, The students are getting more comfortable with it and we’ve been working with the same vendors for a while so it’s really been helpful.”

Sponsored by the activity fee, (each student at MATC pays an activity fee of $6.71 per credit)  the money for the tickets offsets the cost of the event, and there are no proceeds.

When asked how she herself was having a good time, Wood said,  “I love the music and I think it’s a great way for the students to start out the school year, making new friends and building networks that will help them succeed throughout the year.”