A throng of freshmen gathered at the entrance of the Intramural Physical Education Building (IMPE), eagerly anticipating the night’s festivities.

“This thing starts at seven, right?” Will Gray, a freshman in ACES, asked out loud.

The low grumblings got louder as the students chatted about Fresh Start, an event geared toward freshmen to introduce them to the facilities at IMPE.

At 7 p.m., the doors opened.

The theme was “Caribbean Adventure” – plastic inflatable palm trees were around every corner, stickers of tropical fruits decorated booths and golden sun streamers were suspended from the ceiling.

In one room, Melinda Flegel, Sportwell athletic injury specialist, looked on as students attempted to balance on orange, miniature surfboards during the surfboard-balancing contest. Other activities the Sportwell program offered were rowing derbies and fishing net derbies.

“The students wear fatal vision alcohol and drug goggles as they try to catch sandbag fish,” Flegel said. “For the surfboard balancing contest, our goal was to teach them about athletic injuries and the services we provide concerning them.”

The event included group fitness demonstrations, tropical karaoke, kayak racing, inflatable games and, in the outdoor pool area, a screening of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Students had the opportunity to win an Apple iPod and free room and board for a semester. Entertainment included live music from Mike & Joe, a well-known cover band. Inside one of the gyms, volleyball and basketball games were in full swing.

Jason Azul, junior in business and campus recreation team leader, supervised the games.

“We don’t want conflict about who gets (the courts) next,” he said. “The whole point here is to expose freshmen to the facilities and to provide them with the opportunity to have fun and meet new people-and in what better way than to facilitate it through sports.”

Ziemowit Mazur, a graduate student who works at IMPE, sat on the bleachers waiting for his turn to play basketball. Mazur attended the event as a freshmen and has attended every year since.

“It is good for (freshmen) because they learn about everything and then they know their options for the next four years,” Mazur said.

Mazur enjoys meeting new people every year and makes a point of doing the same activities he has done in the past.

“It’s like homecoming for me,” he said.

In addition to the gym devoted to basketball and volleyball, another was transformed into a Caribbean island carnival and offered games such as Dolphin Ring Toss and a limbo contest. Students received flowered leis at the door and brown, plastic monkeys hung from the railings.

While inside, students dressed up in pirate costumes and had their picture taken.

Henrik Lomotan, freshman in engineering, wore a brown, broom-style pirate skirt, matching shirt and black eye patch.

“It felt really weird but it was fun,” Lomotan said. “I’m sure my friends and I will always remember it.”

Megan Smyrniotis, freshman in LAS, also walked away with good memories from the night. She was encased in a clear, plastic ball at the human sphere event where students roll the spheres around orange cones to reach the finish line.

“While they were blowing it up, my ears popped,” she said. “It was worth it though because I got to feel like a hamster.”

Informational tables were also set up so students could learn about Campus Information Technologies & Education Services (CITES), Illicall and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.