Rowan After Hours hosts events every weekend, but the one held on Friday, March 29 in the Chamberlain Student Center brought attendees back to the late 90s and early 2000s. The Nickelodeon-themed night was full of activities that could make any college student feel nostalgic.

Being that it was Rowan’s annual “Lil’ Sibs Weekend,” many students brought their younger siblings to join in on the Nickelodeon fun. The event was seen as a premiere for the Kid’s Choice Awards, which premieres every year on the Nickelodeon network. There was a chance for attendees to make their own green slime, which is always heavily present during the awards show.

RAH allowed students to experience crafts, such as the slime, while also getting the chance to watch a Nickelodeon original movie.

Rowan University students were given the chance to vote online for which movie they wanted to see, and of course, the “Spongebob Squarepants Movie” was the winner. The yellow sponge was the star of the night, with cardboard cutouts of him, his friends and his pineapple house transforming the Student Center into Bikini Bottom.

The food bar featured Krabby Patties, the Krusty Krab’s signature dish, which is often prepared by Spongebob on the show. These dishes were basically just a cheeseburger given a little flare to make it seem like a Krabby Patty placed on a Krusty Krab decorated table.

Nick Testa, a senior chemical engineering major, was in charge of planning the first-ever Nickelodeon night at RAH. Around the time he began organizing the activities, the creator of Spongebob had passed away. Stephen Hillenburg was the creator, director, producer and writer of the show.

“RAH has done cartoon-themed nights in the past, but nothing like this,” Testa said. “I figured, ‘why not create an event paying tribute to the creator?’”

The Rowan Arts Collective co-sponsored the night, giving away Bob Ross themed raffle items such as socks, notebooks and pins.

“I’m a little bit older, and I grew up on Nickelodeon,” said Joe Ivins, a senior English education major who helped run a table at the event. “Being here is a nice little nostalgia trip.”

Nickelodeon lovers also had the chance to watch episodes from their favorite Nick TV shows, such as “Jimmy Neutron,” “Fairly Odd Parents” and “Danny Phantom.”

Throughout the night, a raffle gave students the opportunity to win their very own DVD of throwback episodes from various different shows, as well as getting to take home the Spongebob cardboard cutouts. 

Students were thrown back into the early 2000s with RAH’s Nickelodeon night, connecting them to their childhood while also connecting to the younger generation during “Lil’ Sibs Weekend.”

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