Graphic design freshman Tyler Nguyen falls down while skating during the Rollerskate Throwback on Sept. 25 at the Maverick Activities Center. There was music, food and crafts for attendees.
Eager students waited in the hall outside Maverick Activities Center Room 133, signing waivers and receiving goody bags before entering.
An assortment of snacks, drinks and food met them when they first came in. A photo backdrop and craft table sat on the other side of the gym.
EXCEL Campus Activities hosted its Skating Throwback event Friday. Students were invited to lace up their skates and travel back to 2016 while enjoying pop hits from the era.
EXCEL is UTA’s student-led programming board that provides social, educational, cultural and tradition-centered events and activities for the community, according to its website.
Maritza Perez, EXCEL programming director and one of the event planners, said events like this create community on campus and allow students to relax and unwind without spending money.
Polina Shagaeva, Russian and Korean sophomore, left, and marketing sophomore Miriam Kim hold hands while skating during the Rollerskate Throwback on Sept. 25 at the Maverick Activities Center. The event was 2016-themed.
Mechanical engineering freshman Dinh Luong said he was most excited to hang out.
“It shifts the whole perspective, UTA being mostly commuter and kind of lonely to being more inclusive and fun,” Luong said.
It didn’t take long for students to hit the rink as the music thrummed through the air.
The roller rink, which took up only a portion of the room, was soon packed with skating students.
Lillian Ruesink, quantitative biology doctorate student and Roller Derby skater, didn’t mind the size of the rink.
Graphic design freshman Tyler Nguyen skates around the rink during the Rollerskate Throwback on Sept. 25 at the Maverick Activities Center. Attendees were provided roller skates to use.
“It’s a great setup and a way for other students to get to skate,” Ruesink said.
Like many others, Ruesink found comfort in the crowd and the bonding experience it created.
“It’s an amazing event, and I’m happy with the turnout, but I think there could always be more,” she said.
Some, like Polina Shagaeva, a Russian and Korean sophomore, came out to dip their toes into the skating world.
When asked how long she’d been skating, Shagaeva replied, “zero days, zero years, zero months.”
But that didn’t stop her from enjoying the event.
Students roller-skate during the Rollerskate Throwback on Sept. 25 at the Maverick Activities Center. The event was free.
“I’m meeting a lot of people who can actually skate, and they’re kind of teaching me how to skate, so it’s fun,” Shagaeva said.
Perez said even with Oozeball, UTA’s traditional mud volleyball tournament, happening down the street, the event still had a good student turnout.
As the music continued, students with smiles on their faces continued around and around the rink. Even if they fell, the laughter and excitement from the event never skipped a beat.
“Being in a space where it’s okay to fail and fall over when other students are here to pick you back up and be supportive of you is really healthy,” Ruesink said.
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