Let’s throw it back to Wednesday, Jan. 25, when Cleveland State University’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) held Nostalgia Night from 6-8 p.m. in the Student Center Atrium. Nostalgia Night was the first CAB event hosted for Spring 2023, and it certainly started off our semester with a trip down memory lane.
Much like other CAB events, there were plenty of prizes being given away. One thing all the prizes had in common was that they were all items that were universally adored in the past. Upon checking in, the first 100 students received a free t-shirt. Along with that, you got to choose from a buffet line of pizza, snacks, and drinks. The most popular drink they had featured for students were Hug Fruit Barrels, which brought me straight back to elementary school. Down the line of free goodies were giveaways of Silly Bandz, snap bracelets, Oreo Handi-Snacks, and more.
On top of the small gifts they gave out, they was also a raffle where one could win a Tamagotchi, a Pillow Pet, a Hunter x Hunter poster pack, or a set of kinetic sand. The 4 winners of the raffle were given the prizes after the event ended.
In the meantime, while waiting for the raffle drawing, CAB made sure to keep the students occupied. On one end of the Atrium, there was a Twister board laid out next to a big set of Jenga blocks. On the other end, there were tables set up with little crafts and games such as origami, rainbow sketch paper, and the popular board game, Candy Land. Right in the middle of the event was the screen with the Kahoot game playing. Students joined in and played in Kahoot games about, “Nostalgic Movies” and, “TV Cartoons.” With throwback music playing in the background, you had to answer easy but thought-provoking questions like, “True or False? There are 3 Haloweentown movies.” and, “Finish this quote: Road work ahead…” These questions definitely gave me flashbacks to my middle school years.
Nostalgia Night had an amazing turnout. Not only did 100 people collect their free t-shirts, but there were plenty more people there who got there after and stayed for the event. Tyrese Rushton, who is a member of CAB and the designated Event Planner in the group, explained to me that the best part of planning this event was, “ordering the Silly Bandz and other gifts and making the Kahoots.” Rushton spent his time perfecting this event, and he, along with the rest of the group, really took us back to the fun and sentimental moments of our childhoods.
As the college years dwindle down for some of us, it gets a little harder tuning into your inner child, or experiencing that nostalgia of being a kid again. Many CSU students are in school full-time and have jobs or extracurriculars in the meantime, making it hard for us to spend time enjoying the things we liked when we were younger. The event brought roughly 200 people together to bond over old memes, movies, and trends of the past, and undoubtedly, made me look forward to upcoming CAB events.
To stay up-to-date with Cleveland State’s Campus Activity Board, follow them on Instagram at @csucab.
Ava Fuduric 
Hannah Gates 
Kasey Sheridan