Eastern’s police department hosted an all-night event with students on Dec. 1 to build community and foster positive relationships. The annual Open Rec Night drew crowds into the Sports Center for a fun-filled evening of raffles, board games and sports. 

“The goal of Open Rec night is to provide a safe environment for our students, university clubs and professional staff to come together and enjoy each other’s time,” said Chief Stephen Tavares. 

This year’s Open Rec Night, formerly known as COPS Open Rec, marked 25 years of the event. Lt. Derrick McBride, who came up with the idea for the event, wanted the event to be representative of Eastern’s community and the joy that exists on campus. 

“It continues to live as an opportunity to bring all members of our Eastern community together,” said Tavares. “This event has been doing just that for 25 years, unifying the campus.” 

And it did. Students came in hoards through the doors of the Sports Center with armfuls of nonperishable goods to be donated to Shawn’s Cupboard, the on-campus food pantry.  

“Shawn’s Cupboard has been very active this year with students utilizing this on-campus resource, and we were made aware through their student volunteers that donations would be beneficial in stocking their shelves and meeting the demand of the campus community,” said Alyssa Duffy, associate director of Student Activities. “It was wonderful to see the number of students who brought nonperishable items to the event, as a way to pay it forward to their peers!” 

Once inside, officers and Eastern students sat around tables, chatting while playing checkers, Connect Four, Trouble and more. 

“I played board games and corn-hole,” said Jessica Viera ’24. “Campus events like Open Rec are very important in fostering a community. Not only do they help to build strong friendships among peers, but they help to show students that Eastern cares about them.” 

Beyond board games, students could get their faces painted or work on crafts. In the gymnasium, an inflatable obstacle course was set up, where students competed against each other. The courts were open with volleyballs and nets and basketballs for students to use in games. Students were welcome to stay until well past midnight. 

It was Officer Morgan Velez’s first time organizing the event, taking over after Sergeant Steve Schneider retired last year.  

“Running Open Rec for the first time was rewarding,” she said. “It was chaotic and stressful, as planning any large-scale event would be, yet it was absolutely worth it. I was able to put both of my favorite things together, which is event planning and community policing. I went into this event planning without attending an Open Rec before, so I’m happy it was successful and enjoyed.” 

This year’s Open Rec was a collaborative effort between the University Police, Student Activities and Residential Life. 

“I had great help from my coworkers, other offices and student organizations on campus,” said Velez, “so seeing all the phone calls, meetings and running around from the group of us behind the scenes come to life was extremely rewarding.” 

“This team put in countless hours planning, organizing and coordinating for Open Rec and their dedication proved critical to the success of this event,” Tavares said. “We all are so thankful for all of the volunteers, community and university partners that donated, staffed our event tables and provided other services required to provide a great experience.” 

Students, staff and officers left with smiling faces, a testament to the work put into the event and the joy imbued throughout campus because of it. 

“I’m proud to be a part of Warrior Open Rec and even more proud to work with the tremendously skilled and dedicated team that is Eastern,” said Tavares. “We look forward to many more years of Warrior Open Rec.”