Senior biomedical sciences major Jocelynn Lopez (left) takes part in a Pre-Pathology Society murder mystery event at the Student Union on Wednesday.
Dawson Therre
Student Union Room 224 transformed into a Panic! At The Disco-inspired murder mystery boogie room as the UCF Pre-Pathology Society kicked off its group meeting Wednesday.
“We’ll go ahead and play some Panic! At The Disco music and get started,” said Hayley Ellis, the club’s president and senior health science major.
The theme of this week’s meeting was “Murder! at the Disco,” where members worked through three rounds of cards and clues to uncover a killer in their midst. The case came together as disco-era hits and music by Panic! At The Disco echoed through the room. Clue hunting regularly gave way to spontaneous dance breaks.
“It’s like a party game,” Ellis said. “You’ll get to know each other.”
Student holds a pad used for a detective’s notes during the Pre-Pathology “Murder! At The Disco” meeting at the Student Union Wednesday evening.
Dawson Therre
Members picked up their name tags and character cards and began their detective work. Printed pictures of weapons served as the game’s fake “murder weapons” and were discreetly hidden around the room as part of the investigation.
Ellis made a point of encouraging members to fully get into character. Lighthearted accusations flew as members teased each other throughout the evening.
“Detective’s Notes” notepads were handed out to log evidence and theories. Members methodically gathered names and consolidated their findings into one comprehensive case file at the end of the night — a file Ellis dramatically opened before the room to reveal the killer.
The room reacted with audible gasps. It was a sight that Ellis said she was glad to see, as the night’s main goal was to encourage connection among members.
“It’s more competitive being pre-med, so finding a community where you fit and belong is the most important thing,” Ellis said.
Pre-Pathology Society president and senior health sciences major Hayley Ellis opens the envelope with the killer’s identity during the murder-mystery-themed group meeting in the Student Union Wednesday.
Dawson Therre
Gabrielle Rios, senior biomedical science major and vice president of the society, hopes to offer guidance to younger classes.
“We’re seniors, and a lot of our newest members are freshmen or sophomores,” Rios said. “We really enjoy getting questions from them. I didn’t know a lot about pathology my freshman year, so it feels good to be someone who can help them.”
Three awards capped off the night’s activities: Best Actor, Best Costume and Best Detective. Members left the meeting smiling as they collected their awards.
“We’ve been able to create something different because we started small and built a community around a shared interest in pathology,” Ellis said. “[Our] members have real opportunities to connect and get to know one another.”