Last Friday night, the University Activities Board, or UAB, put on an indoor laser tag event at IM Sports-Circle.
The event accumulated more students than the event could hold, which caused UAB staff to suggest people leave in order to save their time, UAB Manager Cathy Fitzpatrick said.
UAB also provided hot cider, caramel popcorn and bandanas to decorate while the teams of five waited for their 10-minute match.
“We came in a group of three … we met (two) new people to be in a group with,” mechanical engineering freshman Brett Labian said. “It was a cool way to meet some more people on campus that I usually wouldn’t meet outside of my neighborhood and major.”
The one who organized it all was professional writing senior Caroline Poole.
“We wanted to do an out-of-the-box idea,” Poole said. “Originally it was going to be outside (at Adams Field) and so it was going to be more of a fall festival type thing … but weather didn’t permit.”
Poole has been a part of UAB since her sophomore year. She was the director of the multicultural committee during her sophomore year and is currently the director of the event committee, a position she's held for two years.
Poole has had to organize several events over her three year span at UAB.
“Anything from the drag show to a nature night hike,” Poole said. “Just a wide range of events.”
In order to set up this event, Poole first had to contact Record-A-Hit Entertainment, an entertainment company based out of Chicago.
“We had contacts with them before, we’ve had to use them for other events,” Poole said.
Fitzpatrick has worked with Poole before, and she said what Poole brings to UAB is “very valuable” and is the most senior director UAB has.
“(She) has excellent ideas when it comes to events,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick also believes the set of skills Poole possesses is extremely valuable to the UAB staff, because they could get a director with no experience or one with several years of experience.
“She helps coach and mentor the other directors on the team,” Fitzpatrick said. “She has the foundation and she’s an excellent event planner.”
Fitzpatrick also said planning fun events like outdoor laser tag isn’t Poole’s only “forte.”
“Caroline is also very into social justice events,” Fitzpatrick said. “Her partnerships with organizations that — with UAB — can find an outlet to program an event (that) maybe they don’t have the budget or aren’t sure on how to book space.”
With this, Poole said the best thing about UAB is the people and the community.
“Everyone is so supportive and everyone is just welcoming and so fun to work with,” Poole said.
Being a UAB director for three years has also prepared Poole for life after college and being a leader, she said.
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“I’m getting a lot of experience that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to get with UAB, just becoming a campus leader, managing the budget, putting on all these events and gaining skills in logistics and analytical skills,” Poole said.
In the end, the likelihood that UAB puts on another outdoor laser tag event is very likely, Poole said.
“We (now) know students want something like this,” Poole said. “I think it’s just a matter of making it better and a better experience for everyone, especially those who got turned away … I felt very guilty about turning people away.”
