Scandia has been a long time go-to for Sonoma State students to hangout and let loose on the weekends. It has games like mini golf, bumper cars and their newest addition, the Vertical Boom which is a drop tower. Greek life, clubs, and other campus group have hosted events at Scandia in the past.
Seawolf Living hosted a Sonoma State University event at Scandia Family and Fun Center from Sept. 10, starting at 9 p.m. till closing that provided free admission and rides to all Sonoma State students who showed their IDs upon entry. The only cost to students would be the food and drinks. The event continued into the next day, but tickets and games were regular price. The event was a huge success seeing as the whole venue was packed with students looking to have a good time.
About 300 people showed up on Monday, which was more than expected. “There were so many people that we had to open up the second golf window,” said Marisol Contreras, an employee at Scandia that was working in the golf section of Scandia. “There were around 100 people in the section I was working in,” said Contreras. There were still more people in the Arcade, Blaster Boats, and the batting cages.
Working the event was hectic because there were only a limited amount of staff and spots on rides, so the lines to wait for for the games were much longer than normal. “It was hard because they came in large groups,” said Contreras. “We started leaving the golf clubs out for people to take.”
Patrick Oregon, a recent transfer student, heard about the event from his neighbors in the Beaujolais Village and decided to go with two of his roommates. “It was packed! I couldn’t play any of the games because they were all being used.” said Oregon. According to Oregon, all who went seemed to have a great time despite the event being so busy.
Even though it was packed, Oregon said it was definitely worth it and he would go back even if it wasn’t free. The campus needs to have more events like these that bring students together in an environment that we can relax.
Kate Lathrop, a senior, said that the event was the first time she has been to Scandia since her freshman year. Lathrop went on Tuesday night when it was less busy but still had a great time. “I was playing the dancing game and it was definitely a work out,” said Lathrop. Going back to the venue as a senior reminded Lathrop of the times she went as a freshman. “The first time I went to Scandia I went with two of my friends and my favorite game was skiiball. I swear we spent hours there.”
