The usual chatter at the Viking Marketplace was replaced by laughter, friendly competition and triumphant cheers on Thursday, Jan. 29, at a trivia night hosted by Residence Life. 

For the first time this year, Reslife brought its popular trivia night – typically hosted at Viking Public House – into the dining hall, transforming it into a lively space of games and student connection.

Hosted in collaboration with the dining hall, the event featured more than just trivia. Students could drift between rounds of bingo, Twister and cornhole.

“Twister was fun,” said Aveon Moore, a psychology and criminology major, who arrived with friends expecting a typical game night and left with a feeling of childhood nostalgia. “I haven’t played it since I was a little kid, so it was fun trying to play again.”

Among the crowd were Yadiel Mercado and Christina Arrichi, who are already familiar with Reslife’s weekly trivia nights – an enjoyment that drew them to attend the Viking Marketplace event. 

“We really like the trivia night that they do at Viking Public House, and we figured it would be fun – especially since it was a little closer to our dorm at The Edge,” said Arrichi, a journalism and public relations major. 

For Arrichi, the setting mattered just as much as the games. She explained that hosting events in the dining hall eliminates the common trade-off for many students – choosing between getting dinner and making time for campus activities.

Behind the scenes, resident assistants say hosting events like these is crucial to fostering a student community – especially as a largely commuter school. 

“It gets a lot of different students together, encourages them to talk to people they wouldn't otherwise talk to and just have a good time,” said Kaleb Roberts, a sophomore resident assistant.  

Students interested can join Reslife at Viking Public House for trivia night every other Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.