ETSU students had a chance to blow off some steam Thursday afternoon by playing laser tag in the Culp Center Ballroom.
Hosted by Buctainment, a student organization dedicated to providing free entertainment to students, the free event was open for students to drop by anytime between noon and 4 p.m. to battle it out in teams of six.
Once inside the ballroom, people were asked to remove their shoes and wait in line for their turn while staff with Party Train Entertainment prepped the players for the next round.
Teams entered the battleground on opposite ends of the massive, black inflatable arena. Once inside, it was almost impossible to see your gun extended in front of you, and the incessant strobe lights were an unnecessary, disorienting feature. Black lights would have been a more practical and less harmful choice for Party Train.
In the nearly pitch-black darkness, it was difficult to recognize your own team members, making it almost an “every man for themselves” game.
Party Train did not provide any type of glowing vest or indicator to ensure you don’t end up shooting your own team member, therefore making the competitive element of laser tag difficult to maintain. I wasn’t sure if the guns prevented you from shooting your own team member either, as the rules were not fully explained before starting the game.
While navigating the maze to look for the enemy, there were plenty of places to hide for a sneak attack and plenty of room for 12 people to roam around without feeling too cramped. In fact, someone could have picked one of the corners of arena to hide and more than likely not be found.
If shot by enemy fire, the gun would ding and flash signifying your demise. I lost track of time inside the game, but my gun informed it was “Game Over” in less than 10 minutes.
Although there were some flaws in Party Train’s version of laser tag, the event was a hit rather than a miss for Buctainment. Opinion Editor Lindsey King and I were able to run around barefoot like we were at a birthday party in middle school again, laughing and forgetting about the tests, projects and papers due in the coming days.
Buctainment had 35 students stop by to play within the first hour with a few being repeat customers, and by the end of the afternoon, over 175 students participated in the fun.
