With the first week of winter quarter coming to a close, the Student Events and Activities Council (SEAC) kicked off the weekend with the Redhawk Games, a new event that took place Thursday, Jan. 8. The Redhawk Games’ activities took place in the Campion Ballroom where all Seattle University students were welcome to join in laser tag, inflatable axe throwing, giant Connect Four, Battleship and more.
SEAC’s president, Josslyn Chavarria, a fourth-year psychology major, described the event as an attempt to think outside the box and encourage student involvement this quarter, going bigger and better than past years events. The event utilized aesthetics of childhood nostalgia, the ballroom decked out in retro neon lighting, emulating a classic arcade.
“A lot of us felt like laser tag was reminiscent of childhood and playing in arcades, so we kind of wanted to lean into that. And then the name ‘the Redhawk Games’ kind of pulls from the idea of the Hunger Games, so we mashed the two ideas together,” Chavarria said.
Themes of competition and survival from “The Hunger Games” were especially present in the back half of the ballroom, where laser tag was coordinated. Students ran between tents and walls, shooting lasers at one another in games that lasted approximately 15 minutes per round.
Other games, like inflatable axe throwing, also drew students who lined up to play against friends, taking turns throwing axes at giant target boards.
Durel Elangwe, a fourth-year biology major, reminisced about hitting bullseyes and enjoying the Redhawk Games with his friends.
“We did the laser tag one, and I did the Connect Four,” Elangwe said. “It’s actually crazy, it was fun.”
First-year Nursing major Isabella Diaz hopes to see more participation from the student body in events like the Redhawk Games in the future.
“There’s a lot of cool things here, like this Battleship and axe throwing. I feel like there’s something for everyone. I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s pretty fun and pretty chill and everyone on the leadership team is really nice,” Diaz said.
The involvement in Redhawk Games reflects SEAC’s ongoing efforts to increase student integration in on-campus events. This effort is in part an attempt to make students feel more welcome at Seattle U, and help new students become involved in the community and to socialize with other Redhawks more.
“I’m in the process of discovering the importance of these campus events, because I’m trying to get myself more involved in campus groups, sort of getting myself out there, so I think they’re helpful in that way,” First-year Graham Vinyard said. “I’m just glad Seattle U does these, and actively engages their community by holding things like this.”
Winter quarter is often discussed as a challenging time of the year for students, but the Redhawk Games provided an opportunity for students to get out of the gloom and enjoy some friendly competition with their peers. Continuing their “bigger and better” theme for the year, SEAC’s next event falls Feb. 6 with the annual Winter Ball, taking place this year on the Seattle famous, Argosy Cruise.
