PACERS AT PLAY

By Brian Martinez & Emerson Scollo

The saying goes that if one works hard, they play hard. That is no exception for college students. William Peace University Pacers participate in a variety of activities that showcase the drive and dedication that they have for their craft, whether they be sports, or theatre productions, or even competitive and noncompetitive gaming.

Pursuing these kinds of play in college while juggling classes and jobs can be a challenge, but can be equally rewarding. Studies have shown that being involved in extracurricular activities can boost grades, leadership

skills, and can help students declutter the mind and shift focus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there is an increase of math and science test scores of 2% in those students who are involved in extracurricular activities. By students being involved and playing, they are gaining new skills that they can incorporate into anything they get involved in.

Why we play

Student athletes are a prime example of students who work hard and

play hard. Competitive sports require student athletes to train and condition their bodies before the season even starts. Even though it can be tiring, the benefits and enjoyment of the sport beat all the negatives out.

Keslee Hylton, a junior on the WPU volleyball and lacrosse teams, says she loves the energy of the game and comeraderie with her teammates.

“It’s a fast pace, high energy. I’m a very high energy person, you know, bouncing off the walls,” says

Play is central to the lives of WPU students, whether they are actors on the stage, athletes on the field or gamers on the console. These stories focus on the many types of play found at WPU and the players themselves.

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Hylton. “I also just like being on a team…I just really like the family atmosphere that we have.”

For simulation and game design students, playing games is not only a form of entertainment but it is also a big part of their future careers.

“I would consider myself a gamer, not just because I play video games, but to an extent also because I make them now,” said Jacob Roe, a junior simulation and game design student at WPU.

As for why he plays, Roe says it “depends on the game. It can be for the entertainment alone, the story, the world building, the characters, the environment, the overall feel, maybe just for the fun of it. If I want to play a silly little game with friends, or play a silly little game on my own, I can do that.”

By playing and being involved, students can destress from the pressures of being a young adult in college. Whether that be playing video games or just shooting hoops, these forms of playing keep students mentally and physically active while not being too heavy for the brain.

Through the art of playing, students are developing skills that can’t be taught in any other form. Depending on the student’s preference of play, they are in positions that require them to be

No one can out play a theatre student when it comes to playtime. Theatre students are either playing with lights and sound or playing as characters that are out of this world. Junior theatre student Emma Roe says playing characters helps her learn thing about herself.

“We’re always taught to bring ourselves into the characters in any way that feels authentic,” says Roe, Jacob Roe’s sister. “So it helps me fig-

Kelsee Hylton, who plays volleyball and lacrosse, shows her strength.

Photo by Emerson Scollo.

ure out things about myself and become more self aware. Yes, I get to play a different person. But at the end of the day, It’ll always be me. So why don’t I just try and figure out different techniques and methods that characters use and use them to help myself.”

Getting Started

Roe says acting was part of her life from a young age.

“When I was a kid, the idea of performing started out more as, ‘Oh, I get to go do something fun in front of people.’ I’ve always had a really out there personality,” said Roe. “My parents would say I would just be singing around the house or like on the table

Theatre students in Burual at Thebes. Photos by Khalil Tompkins. performing scenes from movies I’ve watched. So like, I don’t know, it’s just been in me since day one.”

Hylton’s path was less clear.

“I never expected myself to play volleyball in my life,” she said. “And then in seventh grade. My gym teacher was like, Keslee, you play all these sports. Why don’t you play volleyball and why don’t you give it a try? I never really saw myself doing it. She’s like, well, at least just try out for JV. I was like, Okay, I’ll give it a shot. And I did. And I quickly fell in love with the game,”

Players on the field and off also have to work through challenges.

“I think the hardest thing for me was just realizing that just because I don’t play as much or I didn’t start doesn’t make me any less of a volleyball player or person.” Hylton said, “I just had to tell myself that even though I wasn’t getting the playing time I wanted, I was still I still had a purpose on the team and I’m still doing my job as a teammate.”

Roe was challenged in a different way.

“I didn’t really have any proper theater training until I was in my senior

year of high school,” Roe said. “Since I was young, I was always in the ensemble roles and I really thought that I was going to step away because I’m like I’m not benefiting from continuously being cast as an ensemble. But then I started getting bigger roles and I was like oh, it’s really nice to know that they’re seeing my growth.”

Play helps students relax and let go of the stress that comes from school. These activities are something that is beyond college. Sometimes they are just for fun while other times they can pave the way for the future. No matter what form of play Pacers choose they are bound for success.