Bumper cars stormed onto campus during the winter storm Jonas as the Student Activities Board (SAB) started off the semester with their first event for on Friday, Jan. 22 at 5:30pm in Anacon Hall.
The event was split up into a few sections. In Anacon B were four bumper cars coned off into a bumper car rink. In Anacon A, there were a variety of different things. Activities included Mario Kart, key tags, a racecar simulator game and a photo booth.
Gina Geleti, a sophomore English education student and the Festivals Chair for SAB, planned the entire event.
“I thought of this event about a year ago at a novelty event. I wanted to do something a little different, that Monmouth may not have seen before. I also definitely wanted it to be gender neutral. At first, I planned for this to be a NASCAR event, but changed it to an event that I knew Monmouth students would have fun coming to and being a part of,” Geleti said.
One of the most popular attractions was the key tag makers. Students picked out the type of key tag they wanted, varying from license plates to scenic pictures, etc. and chose which text they wanted their key tag to read.
Another popular attraction was the photo booth. What made the photo booth different compared to other photo booths from let’s say a boardwalk, was that it had different effects that people could choose from. Some of these effects included a black and white filter, wigs, hats, and a roller coaster filter.
By the end of the night, a line formed for students to have their turn at the booth. Many college students were also excited to use the Wii and were excited to see Mario Kart as part of the action.
Although there were many smaller attractions, the bumper cars were the main reason SAB saw such a big turnout.
SAB advisor Lindsay Smith said, “I thought it was a very well thought out event with many opportunities for students to have fun and enjoy themselves. The theme was very unique and the activities based around the theme were fun for everyone. The SAB staff was super friendly to all who came and showed a sense of pride in their organization and event.”
Smith, who is in her first semester as the advisor of SAB, has adjusted quickly to her new position and is open to activities Monmouth has not seen before.
Amy Rosensweig, a junior international business student, said the event gave her and her friends something to do, especially with the threat of snow confining many to campus. “This was a fun way to escape the cold snow and hang out with a bunch of my friends while having a fun time. The bumper cars were so lit,” Rosensweig said.
This event was a little taste of what the SAB has in store for the rest of the semester.
If you are interested in looking for another festival event coming to campus, Paint Night will be held on Friday, March 4.
Sign ups are required.
Photo Courtesy of Brian Foye
