Sorell Grow | Culture Reporter | svgrow@butler.edu
The Student Government Association is back again with free activities for Butler students. The first SGA event of the semester happened Friday, January 13 — SGA created its own version of an escape room.
Escape rooms are physical rooms designed to be puzzles for participants to solve in order to escape the space. The elements of each room are tools for participants to use for their getaway, most use combination locks, riddles and physical puzzles.
The rooms have different themes and settings, such as an art gallery, prison or bank.
Escape Rooms have been rapidly gaining popularity all over the nation in the past few years.
SGA set up its escape room in the conference room on the third floor of Atherton. The theme of the puzzle was “Patient Zero,” and students were meant to escape from an impromptu laboratory after the outbreak of a zombie virus.
Sophomore Laura Stark attended the Escape Room in Atherton with nine of her friends.
“We all enjoyed the Escape Room in Atherton as it challenged us to work as a team, which is something we don’t normally do,” Stark said. “My favorite part was when we would unlock a box because we would know we were one step closer to getting out.”
First year Colleen Major also attended SGA’s Escape Room on Friday.
“I thought it was a really fun bonding experience with my friend group and a different activity to do on the weekend,” she said. “We were so proud at the end when we solved it.”
First year Avery Roe did not attend Friday’s event but went to an actual Escape Room in downtown Indianapolis with SGA last semester.
“Overall I felt fine going in, I was excited,” Roe said. “I had never done one before.”
The trick with escape rooms, official locations and the SGA-created event, is that participants are given no instructions before entering the room. The aim of the Escape Room is for participants to collaborate and use their wit to solve the puzzle.
“We were assured that nothing would be scary and nothing would be jumping out at us. But everyone said they were worried something would jump out when we entered a new room or opened a drawer,” Roe said. “We were led into the first room and a guy went over the goal and rules and said ‘good luck.’”
While the downtown location costs $29 per person, both the SGA-sponsored trip to the locations and the Escape Room on Butler’s campus cost students nothing but their time.
“I love that SGA arranges events for Butler students, both on campus and off campus. It has been a great experience to get to discover more of Butler’s campus and also the Indianapolis area,” Major said. “I like how it provides ample opportunities for students to find something they are interested in.”
SGA’s next event, Cookies and Canvas, is this Friday, January 20, in the Reilly Room.
