Students play games, eat food at Eastway

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Graduate student Erin Cecil threw a white beanbag into the air, aiming at the ramp-like platform across from her during a game of cornhole -ÿa game similar to horseshoes.

But instead of throwing a horseshoe at a metal post sticking out of the ground, the player throws a beanbag at a hole near the top of the platform.

“I’m a ringer. I’m just running the table,” said Cecil, an accounting major.

Students at Student Day in the Eastway Center yesterday were also treated to pizza, pop, free bowling and a human scavenger hunt.

The Program Design and Evaluation class in the School of Exercise, Leisure and Sport, put the event together to promote student activity on campus.

“The university indicated a need to engage students on campus and the students in the class are learning to design and implement and evaluate,” said Mary Parr, associate professor in recreation, parks and tourism management.

After completing the scavenger hunt, students cut the bottom portion from the page and turned it in with their name and e-mail address for a chance at one of two available $50 gas cards or other prizes donated by Hungry Howie’s, Rockne’s and Kent State’s Ice Arena. The names will be drawn randomly and prizes will be handed out tomorrow.

Students also bowled and viewed a reel of images on depicting the lesser known benefits of Kent State.

“It’s a behind-the-scenes thing,” said Louise Teach, a senior human development and family studies major in the program design class. “I wanted to show the things that they don’t show on the tours.”

The photos showed good places to sleep and the meters at the Ice Arena where a student can park for four hours for 50 cents.

The idea came about early in the semester when students in the program design class chose the event for the semester project.

The class used a survey conducted by the Commuter and Off-Campus Student Organization to develop ideas for activities.

“We put the survey out last winter and received 1,400 responses. Most of them said they wanted a commuter lounge,” said COSO executive director Kevin Hallsky.

With some ideas for the event, the students went to Dean of Students Greg Jarvie for funding. Jarvie filed the event under the retention initiative, an initiative with separate funds to improve the percentage of returning students.

Brenda McKenzie, an associate director for the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) who helped develop the event, said 29 percent of freshmen don’t return after the first year.

“There is a little higher percentage of commuters that actually leave after the first year,” Jarvie added.

Mary Parr said that among other reasons, lack of on-campus activity may deter commuter students from coming back.

“They come here. They go to class. They sit by themselves and eat lunch. Then, they go home,” Parr said, noting the students may need more.

Of course, the event wasn’t open to commuter students only. Many students who attended the event live on campus or close by.

Amber Kerg, a senior exercise physiology major, said she felt the class presented the campus information in the right way.

“It’s nice that there are just a few tables and instead of feeling overwhelmed with a bunch,” Kerg said.

Attending students also filled out an evaluation, indicating their favorite activities, their least favorite activities and if they are commuters. Later, the class will determine ways to improve other events based on the answers.

“We offer the course every semester, so we would like to something (other events) every semester,” Parr said.

Contact school of exercise, leisure and sport editor Amadeus Smith at [email protected].