University Student Union Program Council launched Power Hour, a new icebreaker event, for the first time on Sept. 16 in the South Plaza.
Passing students were encouraged to climb into a ball pit with strangers and ask each other provided icebreaker questions.
The USU Program Council hopes the Power Hour will encourage people to have fun and make new friends, program council assistant and junior communications student Javier Zepeda said.
“The pit is an excuse for students to get students talking,” Zepeda said. “It puts them in a fun situation with someone they wouldn’t normally talk to.”
Although participation was light, some who did jump in said they enjoyed themselves.
“It was fun,” junior communications major Yoselin Sanchez said. “It was an interesting way to get to know people and get in touch with my inner-child.”
Undeclared freshmam Earnie Johnson said he thought the event was stimulating.
“It was a neat way to meet new people, and it really made me think about some of the questions,” Johnson said.
Only five people were willing to go into the ball pit. A few other people stopped to ask questions and said they would have gone in if they had the time. Program council assistant and fourth year communications major Megann Jenkins said she took this event as a “test run.” She said that she thought the event went pretty smoothly.
“We definitely need to get music and an announcer next time,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said this event was a good confidence and self-esteem boost for participants. She said she hopes to see both new faces and returning faces at the next Power Hour.
The event was headed by activities coordinator Taylor Buhler-Scoot and Zepeda. Buhler-Scott said the first Power Hour was intended to get the word out so that more and more students will participate as the semester continues.
“It was something different, something we’ve never seen at CSULB before,” Buhler-Scott said.
Buhler-Scott and Zepeda said they saw the idea online and figured it was something that could be brought to the CSULB campus.
Zepeda also said the project started from scratch, from getting the ball pit made and coming up with activities aside from the ball pit.
Although no activities other than the pit were present at the first Power Hour, Jenkins said that she thinks the next event should provide something for students to do while they wait for their turn in the pit.
Before students were allowed to go into the pit, they had to sign three different waivers, one for liability, one audio and video release for the USU Program Council and a separate audio and video release for College Beat Productions, Associated Students, Inc. campus video production company.
Power Hour will be held on the South Plaza every other Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m.