In honor of National Recreation Day, NEIU’s P.E. Complex hosted a lively celebration on Feb. 22, 2024, with 86 enthusiastic attendees attending the event. Campus Rec. Day had the intention to introduce NEIU students to a variety of extracurricular activities offered on campus and to promote a sense of community among them. The main aim of the event was to introduce NEIU students to the range of recreational and leisure activities available on campus, which are completely free for all students. To suit every taste, a wide variety of events were scheduled.
Open gym sessions involving pickleball, basketball and volleyball gave students an opportunity to show off their skills in the main gym. These sessions served as a pleasant competition before the event began. Concurrently, in the auxiliary gym, the main attraction was being prepared. It featured a variety of indoor games for attendees to participate in. Some of the games included vitalizing Xbox gaming sessions, energizing Zumba classes and a fun karaoke setup. A plank challenge also encouraged students to test their endurance and fitness skills, which gave a competitive aspect to the celebration.
The celebration was further enriched by the gracious support of various Chicago-based businesses, who generously provided catering services for the occasion. Notably among these sponsors was the prominent presence of Sam’s Club and Jersey Mike’s, actively engaging with the NEIU community. Syed Hussain, the membership manager at Sam’s Club, expressed appreciation for the event and expressed a keen interest in establishing a collaborative partnership with NEIU. As part of their involvement, Sam’s Club went the extra mile to enhance the experience for participants by offering NEIU students exclusive discounted membership deals which were priced at half the standard rate.
When considering the occasion, several NEIU students conveyed their excitement for the festivity and their wish for more events of this kind to be planned in the future. As seen by the attendees’ positive reactions, a lively campus community is crucial to forming a sense of companionship and the opportunity to try out a range of recreational and leisure activities.
When National Rec. Day at NEIU came to an end, it made a lasting effect and demonstrated how important it is to encourage wellness, health and community involvement on campus. NEIU looks forward to offering engaging and leisurely campus experiences to its students with the success of this event acting as an inspiration to do similar events in the future.
