North Texas Daily

Tricia Sims / Intern Writer

The sound of laughter and groaning filled Clark Park Tuesday as students from all over campus joined in on an afternoon of adventure.

“It’s just for fun,” rehabilitation studies junior Ashley Shepherd said. “We targeted more people who lived on campus. It was to get them out of the dorms primarily.”

UPC held the student Fear Factor event on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Clark Park. The event, named after the once hit show of the same name on NBC, challenged students to conquer their fears in interesting ways.

“I saw the signs around the campus and at first I didn’t want to do it, I was all like ‘Oh, whatever,’” biology freshman Karla Macias said. “Then I thought I should do something fun, cause for the past two months, I haven’t done anything at all. I have just been in my room studying, no social life.”

Shepherd, who also serves as UPC’s special programs coordinator, said participants had to sign up in advance online by midnight the night before for better organization and to estimate of the amount of supplies needed.

Due to university restrictions, the event had to stray away from the type of challenges on the television version of “Fear Factor.”

“I couldn’t do anything where people are eating anything, the traditional fear factor stuff,” she said. “I had to stay away from that and be creative with it.”

There were four challenges for individuals and four two-person team games. For each round, winners received prize packs including T-shirts, lanyards and key chains, which Shepherd said would be worth $30 to $40 in the bookstore.

“I think I just kind of googled some stuff and then I worked with what I found,” Shepherd said. “It had to be good enough to where it was be safe, but it is still disgusting at the same time.”

Some participants wished that the challenges were more like the show, which included contestants eating, live bait, bugs and assortment of other undesirables.

“I love gross things and I was hoping we would be eating some nasty things,” economics senior Laura Jacobs said.

One game had the contestants in pairs making a tower out of three different kinds of dog food.

“I am probably going to go wash my hand about 30 times,” biochemistry junior Keyla Fink said.

For individuals, there was a challenge of transferring pebbles from an ice-cold bucket of water into a bowl beside it.

“I didn’t really like the cold one,” Macias said. “My feet are still cold.”

Shepherd said she thought the event was successful because it allowed UPC to connect more with students, instead of just having free food or a live band.

 Biology junior Celeste Alvarez puts wooden clothes pins on her partner, biochemistry junior Keyla Fink’s face during a Fear Factor event. Feature photo by Tricia Sims / Intern Writer