The Southern Miss Activities Council (SMAC) recently hosted an interactive laser tag event on campus, offering students an opportunity to relax and have fun with their peers.
Held in the Thad Cochran Center Ballroom, the event transformed the space into a laser tag arena, complete with inflatable barriers. Students were divided into five teams and given 30-minute rounds to compete against one another. The event ran from 4 to 8 p.m., allowing students multiple opportunities to participate.
In addition to laser tag, SMAC set up a social room for students who were waiting to play or preferred not to participate in the game. The room featured music, food, and a variety of board games, including Sorry!, Uno and Connect 4.
Jasmine Flowers and Roydarius Sutton, both members of SMAC for the past year, coordinated the event alongside their team.
“With finals around the corner and classes getting harder, we hope to give students a break so they have a chance to have fun with their friends and release some energy,” Flowers said.
She added that the planning process required significant effort but was ultimately worthwhile. Sutton shared additional details about the preparation.
“It took a lot of communication to make sure everything worked out,” Sutton said. “We had to find out what students might enjoy eating and find out what they could do in between games. We have been working on putting it together for a while now so we’re happy to see that it turned out nice.”
SMAC leaders helped maintain the event’s energy and organization throughout the evening. SMAC volunteers assisted with check-in and food distribution.
“I think this is something college students would want to do,” said USM student Gabrielle Terry. “Even if we’re in college we still want to have fun… Laser tag is very competitive and nostalgic so that makes it fun for almost any college student regardless.”
