The Collegian
Friday, March 29, 2024

Diversity Roundtable's Luaupalooza brings students together

\0x200BMany students stopped by the Unversity Forum Thursday evening for Luaupalooza, hosted by Diversity Roundtable and the Westhampton College resident assistants, to have some fun and relax before the stressful last week of classes.

\0x200BThe island-themed social event was held from 5 to 8 p.m. and featured an inflatable slide, fruity sorbet and other snacks, airbrush tattoos, sand art, a water balloon fight, giant tricycles, volleyball, cornhole and a dance party.

\0x200BThe Diversity Roundtable is a student organization formed under University of Richmond's Common Ground, said senior Brittney Quinones, student coordinator for Diversity Roundtable. It focuses on bringing representatives from other student organizations together to address the issues of diversity and inclusion on campus, Quinones said.

\0x200BLuaupalooza is Diversity Roundtable's one big social event of the year, said member Nirshiee Arumugam, and it is a great way to bring together diverse groups on campus before the school year ends. The event was attended by about 150 to 200 people this year, she said.

\0x200BHowever, students may have noticed the smaller scale of Luaupalooza this year. The event is known for its multiple inflatable games and obstacle courses, as well as its mechanical bull, Quinones said. "We got very little funding from Student Activities this year," she said, "but we still tried to work with what we had to put on a fun event." Sports equipment was provided by the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness and the event focused more on smaller activities, she said.

\0x200BTo try to compensate for cost cuts and still garner the same amount of interest from students, the event was scheduled for an earlier time than in previous years, said junior Zuley Alvarez, a WC resident assistant. This allowed students to conveniently stop by on the way in and out of the Heilman Dining Center while it was still open, she said.

Contact reporter Mia Webber at mia.webber@richmond.edu

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