Staff Writer: Maya Arruda

Email: marruda7@umassd.edu

College is famous in modern books and T.V. for essentially being a party hotspot. Frat parties and sorority parties are the stuff of daytime T.V. legends, the background for countless coming-of-age type college flicks and at least one episode of Law and Order: SVU.

Of course, these college parties need to have party games; otherwise, it’s just a bunch of stressed youngsters getting drunk in a sad, mopey group. The standard college games that come to mind are things like beer pong or Kings. 

However, a classic game, a real blast from the past, has been revived at UMass Dartmouth for the enjoyment of all students, not just those in Greek life. 

This legendary game’s name: hide and seek. 

A group of UMass Dartmouth students have gathered on Discord to organize massive games of hide and seek at Cedar Dell. The UMassD Hide and Seek Discord currently has fifty-two members. 

Two games of hide and side have been successfully organized and executed at the time of this article, both taking place at Cedar Dell on Saturday afternoons. 

Posters promoting the server can be found across campus with a QR code to join, except for the dorms and campus center. 

All posters contain the same cryptic message from the server’s founder:

“Attention gamers, I have a blisteringly exciting event planned. However, it will not be possible without you. This evening, I have decided to escape the confines of our contrived world and enter the world of the unknown. Prosaically, I went outside for a brisk walk. The sky cast out a mellow reddish-blue glow. I let my mind guide my movement and stumbled my way to the Cedar Dell complex. 

The buildings were girthy and painted in pastel colors, and the lake beside glimmered in tranquility. The fresh spring aroma flooded my nostrils. As I traversed through the labyrinthine pathways, I was abruptly overcome with a yearning feeling of familiarity. However, I was unable to discover its source. Suddenly, I ascertained a keen observation. The houses were complete facsimiles of each other. It was as if someone had copied and pasted entire residences to assemble the amalgamation. 

Then it came down upon me like a bolt of lightning- the grandiose adventures in a miniature world. The expansive vastness contrasted with the proximity between neighbors :hous. My mind immediately entered a state of profound nostalgia. In my introspection, I reminisced about my childhood.

After significant recollection, I evoked memories of my early years of apartment-style living. I longed for the days of frolicking in the vast neighborhood with childhood friends until the sun evanesced, the days when we were free from worldly obligations. 

I know the urge is culminating, so I will propose an offer. We shall once again play an acquainted game of hide and seek. If you are captivated in awe, make your presence known in the server below. I endeavor to arrange such an event.

TLDR (for unsensational people): I am looking to host a hide-and-seek event. Join the server below if you are interested.”

A liberal amount of emojis were interspersed in between the words of the above message, a visual aid to emphasize the importance of the legendary game of hide and seek. 

A customized red Among Us picture with a close-up of the founder’s face photoshopped inside the Among Us figure’s vizor. 

In its raw entirety, this poster was a masterpiece, the epitome of modern art. 

 UMassD Hide and Seek has four rules and four rules only. The rules of the game are as follows: 

1. You cannot leave the Cedar Dell area.

2. You cannot hide inside buildings or in the surrounding woods.

3. Seekers must explicitly point out the location of hiders.

4. Be cringe. Embrace the cringe.

The last rule is by far the most important.

Last week’s test run game of hide and seek at Cedar Dell occurred almost without a hitch.

Keyword: almost. 

Since the campus stores its shuttles in the Cedar Dell area, some outside spectator, clearly not a member of this magnificent server, alerted the campus police of this “suspicious” organized behavior from college students. 

The campus police arrived on the scene, suspecting an organized attempt of vandalism against the campus. 

Imagine their surprise to find a bunch of grown adults playing hide and seek.

Even as the semester dwindles, it’s not too late to get in on this epic resurgence of the classic game. 

All UMassD students are welcome to join the Discord server and get in on this hiding and seeking action.

There are currently plans to hold at least one more event this semester.