More than 1,000 attendees enjoy annual ‘Up All Night’

[wzslider autoplay="true" interval="5000" height="600" transition="'slide'" info="true"]

Huddled together in the darkness while standing in a line stretching out of Rose Arena, students waited patiently Friday night to attend the sixth annual "Up All Night."

"Up All Night" is an event put on by the Office of Student of Activities and Involvement to give students a sober and fun way to spend one Friday night every year. Activities included laser tag, inflatables, casino games, miniature golf, free food and live entertainment.

West Branch sophomore Andrea Gillette said she had never been to "Up All Night" before and had a great time.

"My favorite activity was getting my caricature drawn and being told by the artist that I had a Drew Barrymore mouth," Gillette said. "I had never gotten one before and it was amazing to see what the artists could draw in 10 minutes."

Gillette said she was impressed with the variety of activities at the event as well.

"There was always something to do and the energy was great," she said. "It was nice to have fun with friends after a stressful week."

Vendors from different local businesses, such as Celebration! Cinema and The Grove, were at the event.

Alexa Snyder, a program assistant for the Office of Students of Activities and Involvement, said by midnight, more than 1,000 participants came to the event.

"I hope that everyone at the event had fun and tried different activities," Snyder said. "I like the variety of events we put on and it's great to see students come and enjoy this free event."

Planning for "Up All Night" started back in December. Snyder – who started her position in August – led a committee of 12 students who coordinated aspects of the event such as entertainment, logistics and volunteering.

It took a lot of planning, she said, adding there was an advantage to having volunteers who attended previous events and knew what to expect to make the night successful.

Only minor changes were made from previous years, including passing out free T-shirts early so students didn't have to stand in line.

In the week leading up to the event, students had the opportunity to win fast passes, which permitted them to be able to skip one line.

Indian River sophomore Rebecca Papi said she hadn't been to an "Up All Night" before, but decided to be a volunteer as a way to get more involved on campus. She helped out with the casino games and said she had fun participating in the event.

"My experience was great, there was so much to do, whether it be riding the mechanical bull, or getting caricatures," Papi said. "The food was great, and the activities were awesome."

Farmington freshman Saceila Gonzalez encouraged the university to hold similar events more often.

"I didn't think it would be this large and fun," Gonzalez said. "We should do things like this more often because it is not often you see this many students together to have fun"