First Late Knights event of the semester was an ode to the past

The first Late Knights event of the semester was held on Friday in the Student Union, and as an ode to pop culture of the past the event had a nostalgic theme based on decades.

Late Knights is a monthly event featuring free food, games and giveaways. Admission is free for students with a valid UCF ID card.

The entertainment included arcade games such as Pac-Man, Asteroids and Mortal Combat. Keeping with the theme, the campus GameStop set up a Marvel vs. Capcom tournament on the PlayStation 2 console. Newer games such as Rock Band 3 and Dance Central were also available for students to play. Other entertainment included arts and crafts, fun photos and a live DJ.  

"I'm most excited for the free food," said Madelene Rodriguez, a criminal justice major and guest to the event.

Chick-fil-A catered the event with 700 free chicken sandwiches.  As a new program to the Late Knights event, student organizations could volunteer to pass out free food and hang their banners and advertisements in the dining area.

Many organizations also set up booths for students at the event. Melissa Gregory, a molecular microbiology major, set up a booth for The Pre-professional Medical Society to increase attendance and awareness.

Student volunteers were also a presence at Late Knights.

"The volunteers we have now surpassed how many we usually have which is great," said Jerry Estrada, student director of Late Knights. "We have about fifty which is one of our highest numbers of volunteers."

Volunteers wore special shirts to the event and acted as additional eyes and ears for the Late Knights executive board.

"Volunteering is really fun for me," said Shantrell Bowe, a psychology major and student volunteer at the event. "There's always something different to do and I love meeting people from all over the world."

Students can volunteer for specific shifts at the event or stay for the entire event. There are different committees students can choose from that offer special responsibilities during the night.  

Late Knights, which became a student run organization six years ago, continues to attract over 2000 students to each event. The Late Knight executive board decides which themes will be used each month at a retreat for brainstorming and programming the events.

"It was about combining different decades into one and getting something different for students to have fun with," Estrada said.

The next Late Knights event will have a Daytona 500 theme. "Race Knights" will take place in the Student Union on February 25.

Late Knights updates students year-round at their Facebook page, where they host additional giveaways and display event photos. Students and organizations can sign up to volunteer for Late Knights at www.lateknights.getinvolved.com.