Students were transported to a classic roller rink as they entered the McClaren Complex on Feb. 19. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted the free event for students to enjoy in between classes. KUSF DJed the event playing a range of music from The Cure and A Tribe Called Quest, to disco hits and dancepop, creating the perfect atmosphere to skate, dance and socialize.
CAB collaborated with Neon Entertainment, a company who provided the light up roller skates, as well as the checkered portable rink. The nationwide company specializes in creating interactive events on college campuses. Funding the roller rink with their ASUSF budget, CAB gave the USF community another unique free experience. Junior marketing major Jason Ross said, “[The event] shows that someone is watching, someone cares.”
While Ross did not grow up skating, like many of the students who attended, he picked the activity up a few months ago and has been enjoying it ever since. He showed off his personal skates and smooth skills as he flew around the rink. “It’s just, you know, you get to be you, right? It’s however you like it, you can jam, skate and you can go really fast. I really like the rhythm to it,” Ross said.
Skaters showed off their experience, confidently rolling around and even doing tricks. Oscar Gibbons, sophomore economics and philosophy major, got back into his old sport during the event. “I used to race, not professionally, but semi-professionally, like in-line speed skating…But it’s been so long that I’m out of my game,” Gibbons said. “I think it’s the single hardest sport of all time, and it’s really impressive.”
First-time roller skater and junior nursing major Eliana Bantolino showed up to support her friends in CAB and have fun. “I wanted to try it out, see all the people and I heard there was going to be good music and vibes,” Bantolino said. Sophomore engineering major Angeline De Castro skated recreationally with her family as a kid and picked it up again for the occasion. “I’m glad that they have this free for students,” De Castro said.
After enjoying a few rounds of skating, participants grabbed the free cherry cokes that were provided by Caton Daval-Santos, the Coca-Cola campus ambassador for USF. The University is an exclusive Coca-Cola school, meaning the only beverages sold on campus are owned by the company. Through the Coca-Cola Real Ones Program, Daval-Santos trained at their headquarters over the summer and now creates content to go along with the Coca-Cola marketing.
For fun off the rink, CAB put up a poster for students to write in their guesses for who will be the headliner at this year’s Donaroo, set to happen in April.
The DJ competition will be hosted by CAB on Mar. 5 from 6:30-9pm in Koret Lodge where the Donaroo artist will be announced.
