The Residence Hall Association is sponsoring Residents on Campus Fest, or ROC Fest, will begin this week.

The fest, which is a series of competitions between residence halls through various events, will start today and end Friday, Oct.1.

Each day will be a different event, starting today with the window decorating contest.

All windows within each hall must be completed by 7 p.m.

Today. RHA will host a boat race. Each boat must be constructed using cardboard and duct tape. Boats made by each hall will then compete, starting at 5 p.m. at the Campus Pond.

Everyone seems to be excited about this event including Mark Hudson, director of University Housing and Dining Services.

“It’s always nice to see what you can do with some cardboard and duct tape,” Hudson said.

Tuesday night at 7p.m will be Bingo night at the University Ball Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Players have a chance to win prizes up until 9 p.m. so punctuality is advised.

Wednesday there will be an obstacle course at 5 p.m. in the South Quad.

Nicci Vergara, senior and Family and consumer sciences major, is a RHA representative for Stevenson Hall and development chair of RHA.

“It was a big hit last year,” Nicci Vergra said.

During the obstacle course race, members from each hall will race one another until there is only one winner standing.

Thursday will be the scavenger hunt, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m, between residence halls.

ROC Fest will have a closing lunch in Taylor Dining Hall at 12 p.m. Only residence hall members are invited to this event.

Attending and signing in to each event will earn points for participant’s halls, along with collecting Panther Babies.

Panther Babies are new to ROC Fest.

Hudson said they are a more exciting way to earn points for each hall.

Panther Babies are small black cardboard animals hidden throughout campus. Once a resident finds a Panther Baby, they will bring it back to their hall and enter the small code on the back of the Panther Baby to the email address given. This will earn that specific hall points.

The hall with the most points will win the ROC Fest guitar to be displayed in their hall.

Alisha Baxton, a sophomore family and consumer sciences major and RHA member, is excited for ROC Fest.

“I will be attending all the events and plan on winning the guitar for Carmen Hall” Baxton said.

Vergara said she is excited to be in charge of ROC Fest for the first time and hopes to see a huge crowd.

ROC Fest has been an Eastern tradition for several years and is highly recommended for its social aspect.

“It’s a great way to meet new people, so come out and support ROC Fest,” Vergara said.

Sierra Teague can be reached at 581-7942 or slteague@eiu.edu.