Candy, entertainment and prizes: What better way to kickstart the semester?

In celebration of the fall semester, UNIQUE Programs and the University Union are hosting an open house to include a variety of entertainment, known as Phlagleblast.

This annual event will begin at 8 a.m. today and will celebrate its 11th anniversary this year.

Phlagleblast is pronounced fi-LAY-gul-blast, as described by Dean Sorensen, director of the University Union and the Well collaborative services.

“Putting ‘Phlagle’ before (‘blast’) just seemed to roll off the tongue well and made it fun to say over and over,” Sorensen said.

Phlagleblast is a creative way of simply saying “open house.” Sorensen said no seabirds are flayed with firecrackers during the event, so there will be no need to worry about avian safety.

“The Union Programs side of the house wanted to create an original title name that conveyed fun rather than the typical ‘open house,'” Sorensen said.

This event began in the fall of 2000, with decorations, entertainment and prizes, Sorensen said.

“The Union Director at the time, Leslie Davis, now executive director of the Union and the Well, wanted an annual open house established to take place within the first two weeks of each fall semester,” Sorensen said.

The advertising and decorations change every year, he said. This makes it so there is something new and different to look forward to.

“We will definitely have tons of candy since our theme is Candyland,” said Norma Sanchez, public information and leisure services manager of the University Union and the Well collaborative services.

Throughout Candyland, attendees will find themselves amongst a variety of entertainment from bands to magicians.

“We bring out all different kinds of performers from rock bands to jazz bands to break dancers to a roving magician,” said UNIQUE Interim Programs Adviser Karen Chu.

To begin the entertainment, Sacramento State’s radio station, KSSU AM 1590, will be DJing starting at 9 a.m., Chu said. Joining KSSU is Rick Martin’s Guerrilla Chamber Ensemble; PushPlay featuring Sergio Flores, also known as “Sexy Sax Man”; 2nd Nature Dance Crew; and PointDexter.

There will also be a balloon artist and caricature artist, Chu said.

To add to the fun, Phlagleblast will be filled with all kinds of prize giveaways.

“Usually all the locations in the Union give away something – a pen, highlighters (or) staplers,” Sanchez said.

There is a prize drawing for every Sac State student who completes the Phlagleblast game card. Participants who turn in their completed game card by the 2 p.m. deadline can receive either a Phlagleblast T-shirt or a Sac State student planner, Sanchez said.

“We (gave) out over 3,000 game cards (last year) and about 1,600 of them were turned in completed,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said about 26,000 people came through the building during last year’s event.

Phlagleblast is meant to be enjoyable, but also meant to be helpful to the students and showcase the many services the Union provides.

“This idea is to introduce the Sac State campus community – students especially, to all the offices, vendors, and services available throughout the Union,” Sorensen said.

Before Phlagleblast was introduced, many Sac State students took advantage of only some of what the Union has to offer, Sorensen said.

“Now many more students are much more familiar with the whole building,” Sorensen said. “Rather than (only) utilizing just a little corner of it.”

Marwa Diaf can be reached at [email protected].