Each semester, many students go to Benson to play games, spend time with friends, enjoy free food and try to win raffle prizes during the biannual aWake All Night.

This year, the event was held on Sept. 7 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Benson. The theme was “Mall Madness”, and the offerings included staples of the event such as casino tables, psychic predictions, arcade games and raffle prizes.

The Student Union Director of Late at Wake, Ellie Wheatley, explained the importance of hosting aWake all Night for students.

“I think it’s an important event, because it has something for anyone to do and gives people a break from the stresses of school,” she said.

Enjoying this opportunity to relax and have fun, students participated in a diverse array of planned activities. They could test their pop culture knowledge at a game show, during which they could earn monetary prizes, or even practice their putting skills while playing mini golf as they rotated among the many stations set up in Benson.

In addition to these activities, students who returned to the event also noticed that there was a new and exciting attraction offered at aWake All Night this year — bungee jumping.

The Student Union Director of Celebrations, Megan Hopkins, commented on how the bungee jumping enhanced the excitement and entertainment factors of this year’s aWake All Night in comparison with past events.

“As someone who planned aWake All Night two years ago, I was so excited to see what Ellie would come up with to revamp this campus tradition,” Hopkins said. “Adding a bungee jump attraction on the quad was another thrilling way to grab students’ attention, and just another fun thing to do.”

The bungee jumping was located outside on Manchester Plaza, causing many curious onlookers to pause for a moment and encouraging many people to come to aWake All Night and check out the other games held inside of Benson.

The bungee jumping definitely attracted more students’ attention and was a huge hit, especially as Student Union members enticed people to jump and perform numerous flips while hooked to the jumping apparatus in order to earn more raffle tickets.

Sophomore attendee Juliana Hopper attested to the popularity of this event.

“My favorite part of aWake all night was definitely the bungee jumping,” she said. “It was really fun to try something new with my friends.”

Reflecting the pull of this unique offering at aWake All Night, the attendance recorded for the event was over 500 people, exceeding Student Union’s goal and marking a significant increase from previous years in which the event was held.

To participate in this fun tradition and others, check your email for Student Union updates about different events on campus and information about the next aWake all Night, which will be planned for the spring semester.