Students gathered under a backdrop of neon streamers, strobe lights, and brightly colored balloons on Feb. 16 for Rebel Event Board’s (REB) first Rebel’s After Dark Event of the year called ‘Rebels Glow Crazy.’
The event originally was anticipated to have a large turnout as it gained the attention of about 500 students on Instagram but saw a turnout of approximately 350 students in total. In comparison, last semester’s Rebels After Dark saw a record-breaking turnout with 643 students in attendance, according to the Involvement Center’s Event Pass database. Although this event saw a slight drop in attendance, it fares better in comparison to the historical trend of Rebels After Dark events in May of 2022 which recorded roughly 280 students in attendance.
At Rebels Glow Crazy, REB debuted the new event from 8-11 p.m. in the student union ballroom. The event featured free food, a photo booth, a balloon drop, music, and a costume contest for the best dressed. Attendees upon entering the ballroom were immediately immersed into a sea of neon color surrounded by tables decorated in white clothes that fluorescently glowed. REB volunteers served wings, pizza, salad, and donuts during the event in a line to oncoming students. In addition to the free food at the event, students enjoyed mocktails from the non-alcoholic drink bar.
Prior to the event, REB’s Instagram page encouraged students to dress in bright neon colors that would glow under black lights. To compensate for students who were unable to adhere to the event dress code, REB laid out white shirts across portions of the ballroom for students to take and customize. In response, students used neon markers to decorate their shirts and created memorabilia from their experience at the event.
While the event initially started out slow because students were arriving late, attendees eventually joined together on the dance floor to jam out to early 2000’s music. Throughout much of the night, students formed mosh pits to dance off against one another. The event music was hosted by DJ Prenup who in the past has made a variety of DJ-hosting appearances at other UNLV events like Premiere, Rebels After Dark, and Homecoming.
Halfway through the event, a costume contest was hosted where a crowd of students judged each contestant. A masked student who was referred to as ‘the highlighter’ was crowned as the winner of the costume contest.
As UNLV’s only event-based organization, REB hosts a variety of events each semester thanks to the recent increase of funding from CSUN student government. REB credits part of the increased attendance at events are a byproduct of the recent funding increase from CSUN student government. In total, CSUN allocated $70,000 to REB, according to public financial records. The funding for Rebels After Dark Events falls under their special events allocation column which totals at $18,000.
The increase in funding and turnout has also resulted in the REB committee’s expansion with more members. Lester Cruz, a REB member and senior mechanical engineering student, told the Free Press that his whole college experience changed once he got involved with REB. “My whole life changed once I got involved with the Rebel Events Board,” said Cruz. “Rebel Events Board is one of the best ways to make you feel a part of the campus community and I love helping out.”
Another member named Heidi Abrego was credited for a large part of the creativity behind Rebels Glow Crazy. “Ryan Romero, my advisor, helped me a lot with this idea,” said Abrego. “I’m just glad I got to play a part in this and create a safe environment for students to have fun in.”
Luis Plascencia told the Free Press that REB is excited to host their Foodie Fest on March 1. Students interested in learning more about upcoming REB events are invited to check REB’s Instagram page and the UNLV Involvement Center. The next upcoming Rebels After Dark event is on April 6.
