Games and Van Gogh, the Lion Entertainment Board’s (LEB) latest event on campus, kicked off on Friday at 11 p.m. The event lasted two hours, and nearly one hundred students attended, according to the LEB. The main attraction was the painting area, where students gathered to create their masterpieces. There were many attractions scattered throughout McGarvey Commons. Connect Four, checkers, Jenga, and Twister were some of the enlarged games that students enjoyed throughout the night.

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LEB recently restructured the way they generate events on campus. The board members who used to be assigned a particular type of entertainment, such as bands or comedians, have now been deemed Entertainment Specialists. These members have more freedom in generating types of events than in years past, and the LEB has big plans for this new flexibility.

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For instance, rather than the high-profile entertainment that was introduced in previous years, they now hope to offer events that allow students to have small nights out with friends. “It can be chill like this,” says Ashley Puder, a sophomore plastics engineering major, who is the Entertainment Specialist responsible for planning the event.

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The Publicity Manager, Daryn Watt, a junior software engineering student, commented, “If people are walking away happy and smiling, we consider it a success.” The LEB is using their skills and budget to include other clubs, as well as working with many clubs to co-sponsor events. Later this month, LEB is planning an event with Nanashi, Behrend’s anime club. Showing their process in planning, Puder and fellow LEB Entertainment Specialist, Allison Kuzora, a junior biology major, said that the event took no more than two days to put together. Describing the pre-registered list of vendors that they could contact to plan events, Puder noted that the organization that allowed LEB to rent the larger than life games was led by a Penn State alumni. Together, they had been able to create the event with less than $400 from the Student Activity Fees.

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Students were captivated by the games, frequently having their gazes pulled by the sounds of a falling Jenga tower and the following laughter, and creating works of art, displayed on the auditorium stage.

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“I think it’s a cool event and that the Lion Entertainment Board is really good at making interesting programs on campus,” said Anna Schmitt, a sophomore English major, during her game of giant checkers. The room stayed full of students and noise well into the night, clearly showing approval. The success seen in this move shows hope for this new type of event, and the more comfortable, welcoming environment they have created.