As the summer comes to a winding end, students dread going back to school. Washburn University helps ease this pain by encouraging new students to participate in Bod Blast. Bod Blast is an event full of activities for new (and old) students.

As a freshman, I found myself competing for prizes all over campus. Bod Blast is a great way to start meeting people. Whether I was serving volleyballs, flinging cotton or volunteering, I was participating with students from all different backgrounds. I met foreign exchange students, computer geeks, cowboys, hopeful Greeks and people just like me. Meeting people was my favorite part of Bod Blast because I was forced outside of my shell and into an environment full of wacky challenges. There were a few, of course, that I found more fun than others.

Rock the Rec

I hadn’t touched a volleyball in over five years, and even then, I was awful. I ended up walking away from the court with three shirts. Who doesn’t love free stuff? As I made my way out of the gym, I joined the long line of people to climb the rock wall, graciously failing to reach the top, of course. I bypassed the body fat testing, and made my way to the best game of all time: TWISTER! I out-twisted the six other people on my mat and walked away with yet another shirt and an arm that felt like it was out of its socket. I made my final stop in the “Wii Room”. The four-player group decided to compete shooting skeet. Being from a small town I have shot a gun many times. It was hard to master at first, but with my aim, I was hard to beat (actually, I only won by 2 points). To sum up the experience, I had to pull the little bit of athleticism I possess out of my butt and I actually won. I walked in there dreading the humiliation I was about to face, and walked out with six shirts.

WU Fest

The second activity on my list is WU Fest. Popcorn, cotton candy, and obstacle courses – need I say more? Diving into confined spaces may sound scary, but the lure of prizes always eases your fears.

“Wacky @ Washburn”

The race was set up to help students find their way around campus, doing all sorts of crazy things in offices, halls and sidewalks. Turkey bowling and cottonball basketball were my favorite challenges.

Bod Blast is certainly a great way for people to make new friends from all different places. It helps students broaden their horizons and make new connections that would have never been made before. After all, without turkey bowling and rock climbing,students would have been sitting in their room, confined by the four cramped white walls we now call home.