Late night festivities
SA welcomes students back with games and prizes
The Schilling Center, generally filled with pickup basketball players and others spending their Friday nights at the gym, transformed with tons of games and music blaring from the speakers for the Back to School Bash Jan. 16.
Celebrate — Students enjoyed inflatables and board games at the Back to School Bash. Photo credit: Kari Moye
Inflatable games such as laser tag and the wrecking ball — a game of balance that involved students swinging a ball much like a pendulum at other competitors in an attempt to knock them over — filled the corners. Nine-hole mini-golf, a sumo wrestling station and a photo booth that provided additional entertainment sat alongside the inflatable games.
Students gathered around the various activities either in hopes of being the next competitor or to watch their friends attempt to outlast the other participant.
“(The sumo wrestling) gets everybody involved,” senior Patrick Finn said. “It’s really fun, but you can really just look like an idiot in front of your friends.”
As the outskirts of the Schilling Center filled with students, the middle of the room held round tables stacked with games such as Taboo, Mad Gab, Apples to Apples and Hedbanz for students to enjoy.
Relax — To celebrate the end of the first week of classes, students gathered in the Schilling Center for the Back to School Bash. Photo provided: Kari Moye
Some students even started other activities such as a Duck, Duck, Goose and round-robin pingpong., which allows players to switch off around the table after every hit in an effort to keep the ball in play and include as many participants as possible.
Freshman Makayla Millington and her friends were among the first people to experience the fast-paced game. Although the games raised competition among students, the activities helped students celebrate the start of a new year.
“It was a good way to end the first week of classes and just kind of relax and hang out with your friends,” Millington said.
As the night continued, students laughed out loud while circulating around the room to enjoy the games and the free popcorn supplied by student activities (SA).
The Back to School Bash also awarded students Starbucks and Chipotle gift cards for winning scavenger-hunt-like ventures in which students had to retrieve a certain
object to win.
Although SA provides many chances for students to enjoy extra activities at college, the Back to School Bash gave students an opportunity to experience something new and meet new people, as well as connect with old friends.
“It’s a fun way to connect with people just from previous semesters,” sophomore John Henry said.
For more information on upcoming SA events, visit liberty.edu/sa.
TILLER is the feature editor.