SAB’s annual Lights Out: Continuing a tradition

Oct. 4 promised students fun with UW Tacoma’s fifth annual Lights Out — an event hosted by the University Y and Student Activities Board. From 9:30 p.m. to midnight, the Y began to glow as the fluorescent lights went off and the black lights came on.

This late night lock-in event provided many different games and events for students. From playing laser tag, to challenging someone to “Big Pink Volleyball,” to dodging balls and jumping around on inflatables. The University Y’s staff also oversaw the rockwall and mixfit in the dark. Shining glow-in-the-dark face paint was provided on site. To help keep the night’s energy up, Lights Out also supplied pizza from Zeke’s, a salad bar and a beverage station sponsored Red Bull. 

“I feel like it’s a good way in the beginning of the year to get to know each other,” stated Bryan Roman, Identity and Culture Coordinator for the SAB said. “Especially for students at Court 17, living across the street, get to meet people possibly on their floor.” 

Cade Menter, SAB’s Music and Entertainment Coordinator, expanded on his colleague’s point. 

“Since this is the first two weeks of school with freshmen just getting used to college life, we want them to know how fun it can be here,” Menter said. “That it’s not just work, academics then go home, but that there’s a lot of events.”

Originally, the event was held in the spring each school year until 2017, when UWT then decided to push it forward to fall in hopes of it would be morally boosting to new and returning students. This saw a doubling of students who participated in the event, from around 200 students in Spring 2016 to over 400 students in Fall 2017. 

“This has been an event that has been building and building on itself for the past five years,” Steve Schauz, the Student Program Specialist, said. “It has basically became more of a  tradition with each passing year. It is basically known events are cemented as tradition after five years.”