Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Jocelyn McGregor Phlagleblastset will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Union. [Click to enlarge]

What's in a name? Well if your name is Phlagleblast, you're expected to be full of exciting events and interesting services provided by the University Union.

Students will get the chance to learn what's behind the name, including exactly how to say it, at the Union's 8th Annual Phlagleblast.

The event is set to take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Union and is aimed at introducing students to all the services offered under one roof.

Phlagleblast will highlight available programs and services housed in the Union by putting on a celebration that encourages students to venture throughout the entire building to get a special game card stamped at 23 locations along the way.

"The key thing is that many students come through the union and make use of one particular office or service, so this is a great event to show them everything in the Union," said Dean Sorensen, associate director of programs and programs services at Sacramento State.

He said students should definitely attend Phlagleblast because it's their space, they paid for it and they are welcome to make use of the services offered.

"By doing this within the first few weeks of the fall semester, students, especially freshmen, will get to know all the services offered and take advantage of these services throughout the year," Sorensen said.

Students will receive a small prize and information at many of the locations, and if their game card is completed and turned in to the Union's Information Desk, they will get to choose from three special prizes including a T-shirt, a planner or a slingpack, Sorsensen said.

Completed cards will be thrown into a giant prize drum and names will be randomly selected to award students with various prizes.

The prize drawing is scheduled to begin at 2:15 p.m. All winners of the prize drawing must be currently enrolled Sac State students, but they don't need to be present to win.

"There's fantabulous prizes," said Liana Winteritz, a sophomore communication studies major who works at the Union's Information Desk.

"And it's good to get to know the Union since it offers a lot of information, especially on the second floor with the lounge and music listening," Winteritz said.

Some of the top giveaways students have a chance to win include a bike, an iPod and a roundtrip ticket to London offered through STA Travel, which is also located on the first floor of the Union next to Round Table.

"It's a good resource. You can come learn about a study abroad program or personal travel," said Debrah Lucas, manager of STA Travel.

Lucas said Phlagleblast helps students find what they need and what they are interested in.

Phlagleblast, which began in 2000, started as a group effort to open the Union and introduce the entire student body to everything housed in the building.

Bill Olmsted, associate director of marketing and assessment for the Union, said there were two of his colleagues in a room with him saying they needed to have an annual event for the campus.

"We wanted to make it much more than an open house - someone mentioned something like Lalapalooza, which is just basically bringing a big event together," Olmsted said.

Olmstead said he hopes Phlagleblast will take on a life of its own and become a campus tradition.

So far, the tradition has grown stronger with time. Last year, more than 1,000 people completed their game cards and many more enjoyed the festivities, Sorensen said.

Kendra Hatler, a MBA graduate student, has worked behind the scenes planning the event and ordering prize giveaways throughout the summer.

"It's our busiest day of the year and I wouldn't want to miss it," Halter said.

Catalina Alvarez, a graduate student studying social work, said students will definitely need the services throughout their college careers.

"It's a great event because later on people are stuck wondering 'Where's that office?' so you get to know where everything is located in one big event," Alvarez said. "So when you need to find something, you can say 'Oh, I know where that is - I've been there before because of Phlagleblast!'" she said.



Lana Saipaia can be reached at lsaipaia@statehornet.com.

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