Stacie Larsen
Staff Writer
From 7-9 p.m. Sept. 1 in the Aggie Rec Center, the Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted the CU Olympics open to all Cameron students.
Megan Canfield, coordinator of Campus Life & New Student Programs said members of PAC serve as the campus entertainers.
“We try to not only bring fun events to campus,” Canfield said, “but [also] events that bring students together, events that bring the community together, and hopefully events that educate our students and inspire them to be better Cameron Aggies.”
PAC executive board member and junior elementary education major Mikal Tate said when planning CU Olympics, PAC members collaborated with the Department of Student Housing to encourage student involvement in campus activities.
Tate said the hope of CU Olympics was to attract students who don’t normally attend CU events.
“What I hope to achieve, especially in hosting CU Olympics is just a togetherness,” Tate said. “We’re all here going to college and it can be stressful, but it’s really fun to have an outlet and just come together.”
Senior Raven Hatton, a Senior Resident Assistant for Student Housing, partnered with Tate to plan event details including specific games, and types of prizes students could receive based on the amount of points they earned.
This year marks the third year PAC and Student Housing have worked together to host CU Olympics. Thirty-three participants divided into four teams competed in volleyball, horseshoes, knockout, water-balloon toss, three-legged race and giant ball musical chairs.
The winning team received prizes, such as lanyards, cell phone ID holders and flashlights.
Hatton said she was happy to see many students at the event.
“I’m really passionate about getting students involved on campus,” Hatton said. “It was nice to see them come out [with a] positive attitude and really get involved and enjoy what they were doing.”
Hatton said when she first came to Cameron she was just a resident.
“Now, I’ve moved my way up where I built relationships with several people on campus,” she said, “and I’m able to help them grow as college students while helping myself develop as well.”
Tate said her participation in PAC has also positively influenced her college experience.
“It’s my way to find my place on campus—to find comfort in others like me, especially,” she said. “I really enjoy meeting new people and making people happy with all the great events.”
According to Canfield, all the students looked like they had a great time at CU Olympics.
“They were definitely cheering each other on and competing in lots of sports,” she said, “and I’m glad we were able to offer them an opportunity to kind of get to know each other.”
Canfield said she hopes with Student Housing’s help students continue to show interest in CU Olympics so they can participate in the games again.
“I think it was a great collaboration between PAC and Student Housing,” Canfield said. “Raven Hatton with Student Housing was fantastic to work with.”
Upcoming PAC events scheduled in September and October include Popsicles with PAC, DIY Night, Grocery Bingo, and movie nights. For more information about PAC, visit cameron.edu/pac.