Students had the opportunity to have fun and compete with their friends at the first-ever Zap Zone Night.
Put together by Entertainment Unlimited, Zap Zone Night was hosted in the DEC Ballrooms on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. It featured various arcade games, glow golf and laser tag. Over a hundred students came through and participated in the games and activities.
Music business entertainment senior and entertainment unlimited vice president of programming, Cervonte’ Plair, wanted to bring this event together to give students a time to have fun and forget about the stress of college.
“Just to get out there,” Plair said. “Students are always busy with classes and work. This is a stress-free moment for four hours and you don’t have to worry about the next responsibility you have to do next. Students can play the games with their friends and everyone can create fond memories and have fun together.”
Making this event possible, Plair described the process as selecting the right games that students would enjoy most.
“The process was really just looking at the games,” Plair said. “We wanted to figure out what games were going to interest students the most so they could stay for the majority of the event and play the games throughout. I know DanceDance Revolution brought a lot of hype to some students. I wanted to bring that essence, that history and that sense of nostalgia to this event.”
Many of the arcade games brought a sense of nostalgia as students played them. They either reminded them of childhood memories or times when they played the games in their hometowns.
Dental hygiene senior Edgar Perez was reminded of his childhood when he played the game Roll ‘N’ Up.
“Roll ‘N’ Up reminds me a lot of my childhood,” Perez said. “I remember going to Chuck E. Cheese pretty often. I would go to my birthday and school events. Whenever I play it, it’s not me that plays it right now, it’s my inner child.”
Other games that were featured were PAC-MAN, Bounce A Ball, air hockey, basketball, NASCAR, DanceDance Revolution X2, Connect 4 and The Vault.
Attending this event was important for Perez because of the stress and busyness of college.
“All I’m doing right now is school,” Perez said. “It’s a rare thing for me to go out and have fun. This is like an escape for me and gives my brain a break. Especially with where I’m at right now, studying and getting ready to graduate, it can be a little too much on your mental health, and you can forget how to have fun again.”
While many students played arcade games and glow golf, others were more intrigued by laser tag and very excited to try it.
Radiography freshman Alyse Erickson said laser tag was the main reason she showed up for the event.
“The laser tag was a primary reason I showed up tonight,” Erickson said. “But also just to get out and be social. The fun events are what I always look forward to.”
Along with signing up for laser tag, students could either make up their own team or join an existing one. Two teams of about 7 to 10 contestants each battled each other per round.
Having the opportunity to play laser tag reminded Erickson of a time from her childhood.
“Playing laser tag totally reminded me of watching my brothers do airsoft growing up,” Erickson said. “So I’m gonna have to let them know that I did some laser tag, and they’d probably be proud to know that our team won.”
Even with all the schoolwork at hand, students have the opportunity to participate in fun events on campus that are designed to help them stay engaged on campus. These events can serve as distractions when studying becomes stressful and overwhelming.