On Feb. 15, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for Creative Arts, aka PRAx, was filled with students choosing their characters and getting ready to play “Mario Kart.”
Amidst midterm season, the Patricia Reser Art Center hosted Midterm Gaming and invited students to partake in a brain-break and play “Mario Kart” to de-stress.
“People get really stressed out in midterm season and it felt like a fun way to bring people into PRAx, because it’s such a new building and we don’t get a lot of student traffic because people don’t realize that it’s a place where students can be,” said Keery Madden, community engagement student employee.
Madden pitched the idea with the intent of showing that the PRAx is an accessible and available source for students.
“(You can just) grab a controller and play the game. So it makes people feel more like they can just show up and they know what’s going on,” Madden said.
The event was free and open to all Oregon State University community members, taking place in PRAx’s Toomey Lobby from 6 to 9 p.m.
With a row of couches and chairs facing the giant projector that showed four “Mario Kart” race screens and music playing softly under the sound of “Mario Kart” racing music, the event’s setup curated a relaxed evening environment for students to sink into.
Students had the choice of snack food and refreshments offered by PRAx such as chips, candy and soda.
In addition to “Mario Kart,” there was a smaller game station for “Jackbox,” a trivia-based game where only the most knowledgeable made it out alive.
The sound of students debating whether Swiss rolls were owned by Hostess or not could be heard around the game.
With the trivia-styled gameplay of “Jackbox” and the fast-paced tone of “Mario Kart,” the midterm gaming event offered two vibes for students to partake in.
“It’s a little more lighthearted just because it’s like, it’s less of a skill-based game, it’s more of just like, you’re hanging out with friends,” said Alex Montz, a second-year math and physics major and the winner of the first “Jackbox” round.
With five midterms coming up, Montz finds it hard to make time for relaxation, often opting to prepare and study for their exams.
“A lot of time (I) just dedicated to studying and kind of locking myself away from distractions,” Montz said. “I finished my midterms last week so it’s more of a chill weekend, less to study for, so I figured I’d take a break.”
Dominic Schappell, a third-year horticulture major, used to play “Mario Kart” with his friends back at home. However, his midterm schedule has been all over the place.
“I definitely think this (event) will help de-stress everyone,” Schappell said.
PRAx hopes to hold events similar to Midterm Gaming over spring term, however there is no tentative date as PRAx is figuring out the schedules of shows.
