Hundreds of students were treated to a free night of entertainment Friday in Alumni Arena, as Fun Fest 2004 drew steady crowds throughout the evening and into the early morning hours.
Activities on the sprawling Alumni Arena floor included volleyball, basketball and dodge ball tournaments, as well as free massages, quiz games, an American Gladiators-style jousting arena and an indoor rock-climbing wall.
The Outdoor Adventure Club, one of the sponsors for the event, provided the outdoor climbing wall. The club has been a part of Fun Fest for several years.
"It's a good way for us to help the UB community," said junior electrical engineering major Ben Freer, president of the Outdoor Adventure Club. "It's a great way for students to have a good time for free."
According to Freer, over 150 students climbed the wall during the event.
Free food and drinks were provided, and live DJs from WRUB Radio kept energy levels high throughout the night. Organizers also gave away several prizes.
"We had tons of great prizes this year," said Joe Muscarella, the Clark Hall building manager and chairman of the Fun Fest organizing committee. "We gave away a DVD player, gift certificates, an mp3 player, tee shirts and Sabres tickets. We had something for everybody."
A steady flow of students kept on throughout the night and into the early morning, with most stragglers finding their way to the exits by 1:30 a.m.
"We had over 500 students tonight, not including those students who didn't swipe their cards at the door," said Haggerty. "The actual numbers were probably around 500 to 700. This was a pretty decent year."
This yearly tradition has taken place for the past two decades, and provides students with a drug and alcohol-free environment where they can forget their textbooks for a night and unwind with an evening of games and friendly competition, according to Muscarella.
"It's something that's been going on since the early '80s," said Muscarella. "The main theme of the night is to offer students positive programming in an environment that's drug and alcohol free."
Organizers said they expected to lure students who were facing burnout from a tough semester with the opportunity to play on the Alumni floor.
"The concept is similar to how a lot of other universities do a lock-in," said Brian Haggerty, assistant director of University Residence Halls and Apartments. "It provides the students with positive programming. Besides, how often does everyone get the chance to come and play on a Division I court?"
Sponsors for the evening included the Undergraduate Student Association, the Living Well Center, Residential Life and University Police.
"It was energetic and fun," said freshman undecided major Mike Schwinger. "People really seemed to enjoy themselves, and it was a good alternative to going out and getting wasted on a Friday night."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
