By Mallory Sherwood, Staff Writer

The first Tri-University Bash of the semester drew about 40-50 students from ACU, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry universities to the Bean Sprout on Friday evening to mingle, play board and card games and to participate in bowling, pool and Xbox tournaments.

The students arrived and congregated around the bowling lanes to try to win prizes and mingled in the Bean Sprout’s dining room to play cards, play on the piano and partake in the snack foods and drinks available, said Noel Cothren, student cultural adviser and sophomore art major from Albuquerque, N.M.

Students laughed, joked and chattered throughout the evening while taking advantage of the free pool, Xbox and bowling paid for by the Office of Student Multicultural Enrichment, which sponsored the event.

Sixteen students from McMurry and HSU attended, marking it a success for Cothren.

“Everyone that came seemed to have a good time, and they got to meet some students from the other universities, too,” she said.

She also said the office plans to advertise to the other campuses in Abilene better next semester instead of only passing out fliers.

Besides the alluring free aspect of the evening, students said they also attended to be able to meet students from HSU and McMurry and some of the international students on campus.

“I like free food and games to begin with, and being with some of the international students gives the evening a different dynamic,” said Jeremy Webb, junior youth and family ministry major from Austin.

Chandra Hayes, a sophomore at HSU, said she has always wanted to meet people who are not from Texas or the United States.

“Tonight I got to meet a whole group of students from Madagascar,” she said. “It is cool that ACU has so many international students.”

Her roommate, Jessica Rowan, also a sophomore from HSU, had never been to ACU and said she was excited to see the campus. Both women said they were anxious to see if they could begin something similar to ACU’s multicultural enrichment programs at their own campus.

The cultural student adviser committee, which organized the event, was designed this year to plan events for the ACU campus that promote academic, spiritual and social development between all of the students, as well as to provide multicultural enrichment opportunities throughout the school year.

The cultural student advisers are planning several more events throughout the semester based on cultural themes and possibly more Tri-University Bashes as well.

“It’s really sad that we are so close to Hardin-Simmons; they are just down the road, and we never hang out together,” said Kathleen Carmichael, sophomore psychology major from Austin. “It is a great opportunity to promote community between the Christian colleges of Abilene.”