Continuous music and chatter filled the Great Hall Thursday May 2, as students socialized and unwound with video games, free food, table tennis and “water pong” through the Pierce College Kickback, an event put on by the student government’s social cultural committee.
The six-hour event, originally planned as an indoor sporting event, was organized with the students in mind.
“There isn’t really a place on campus for everyone to just come together,” said 20-year-old Iqra Hamid, who co-hosted the event. “We thought it would be good to have various people together.”
As the second event put on by the Associated Students Organization’s social cultural committee, the Pierce College Kickback focused on the “social” aspect of being in a community college.
“I think that’s important for the campus because it gives people a sense of community,” Bernard Hanamichi, committee chair, said. “We’re trying to make it so it’s not like students just come here to get go to their classes and leave.”
Hanamichi said that the event was organized last minute mainly because of issues with booking the venue.
“Reserving the Great Hall has been a challenge,” he said. “[Pierce] is not exactly a student-friendly campus.”
Despite that, Hanamichi said he was pleased with the turnout.
“I was expecting a lot less [people] because when I made the Facebook invite I was able to only get my core group of 20 people,” he said. “It’s not like they sent it out there. I expected maybe 30 people at a time.”
Students who attended generally liked the concept of the kickback.
“I prefer [the Great Hall] as a place for hanging out,” said 24-year-old William Dearth.
