Freshman Caitlin Ludlow went to dodgeball Jan. 11 expecting a friendly game. She walked out with a jammed thumb.

“Some one threw a dodgeball at me, I tried to catch it but it bounced off my thumb,” Ludlow said. “It happens in friendly competition, you can’t avoid injury.”

Ludlow is one of a number of students that have taken advantage of the increased campus-sponsored events during Winter Term.

Uzoma Oluka, the assistant director of campus activities, is in charge of all campus-sponsored events happening during this time. Oluka said the events are low key with activities such as game nights, Rock Band night, and Nintendo Wii night in The Den. Off-campus events included a trip to an Indiana Pacers basketball game and an ice skating event.

As a resident assistant senior Colby Mueller is required to go to two campus-sponsored events during Winter Term. While he was not excited about it at first, he said dodgeball was a pleasant surprise.

“At dodgeball, quite a few first-years showed up and a few upperclassmen. We played for about an hour and half to two hours,” Mueller said. “I played alright. I was the first one out; I slipped when I was going for the ball. It got pretty intense. The girls hung in there with the boys, they could hold their own.”

Oluka decides on the events with help from students and her co-workers in the Student Life division of the university.

“[Some of the activities] we have done in the past, the students liked them and we had decent attendance. We get a lot of suggestions from students. We listen to what the students want to do,” Oluka said. “Last year we went roller skating but the students said because it’s winter, we should go ice skating.”

Ludlow was also very surprised by the number of students who came to the event but decided to stick with what she knew.

“I didn’t expect such a good turn out, there were a lot of new faces, definitely more boys than girls.” Ludlow said. “I stayed with the two or three people I was familiar with. In a competitive setting like that it’s not as easy to make new friends.”‘

Attendance has been good considering fewer students are on campus during January, according to Oluka.

“[The attendance has been] pretty average. Dodgeball had about 60 students. The trips are always full; we always have a wait list. For game nights we usually get about 20 students. We are planning something for everyone I don’t expect everyone to come,” Oluka said.

To advertise, flyers were sent out to all freshmen, a page was created on Facebook, and activities were listed in the DePauw Weekly. Mueller said he likes the idea of different activities coming on during Winter Term.

“It’s cool they have something going on every night, no matter if its board games or a soup party,” Mueller said. “It’s a pretty good alternative to the usual partying during Winter Term.”