Loyola students could be seen bouncing around in clear, inflatable, plastic zorb balls at the Fitness and Aquatic Center (FAC) on Nov. 9 as part of the first-ever Student Government Association (SGA) Zorball event. The smack of zorb balls colliding echoed through the gym as students went flying in all directions.
Zorb balls, or zorballing, essentially involves people getting inside inflatable spheres and participating in various athletic activities. Gardner Lanning ‘28 explained that this event particularly focused on playing soccer. Students ran around, made passes, and shot for the net, entirely outfitted with zorb balls.
The balls covered students from their heads to just above the knee to ensure safety. Missteps in the bulky spheres led to wipeouts and giggles from participants. Unlike traditional soccer, however, ‘zorball’ has an added twist in the event of a tie.
“It’s really fun watching if there’s a tie breaker. They have one representative from each team just run at each other, and whoever falls first loses. That’s fun to watch,” Lanning said.
Simply hosting the event was just as exciting, as SGA Assembly Member Gaby Lopez ‘28 noted. She tried the zorb balls out for a few minutes to get a feel for the sport but had even more fun watching her classmates connect through this unconventional activity.
“I love that it brings people together. You don’t necessarily know the other person in the bubble. So, when you go to events like these, you’re forced to meet new people and learn more about who is coexisting on the campus around you,” Lopez said.
Lopez gained inspiration for the event from an off-campus activity she attended through her role as an Evergreen. She saw how much fun her peers had watching people collide in the zorb balls and thought to bring the idea to campus and her classmates.
“Especially as we’re nearing the end of the semester, it’s a fun way to get some exercise and just forget about homework and stressors. It’s a fun thing I don’t think we’ve seen on campus recently,” Lopez said.
Lopez has enjoyed creating programming for SGA since she joined the Class of 2028 Assembly last year. She said this role was a great opportunity for her to begin forging connections in her first year at Loyola. Now, Lopez particularly appreciates planning events that can create memories and continue to foster community among her classmates. The recent zorball event was no different.
“Getting to see my peers and checking in, like, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen you in a while, how are you doing?’ It’s just awesome, and to see them have fun, and have a chance to win extra Grubhub points. It just makes my day,” Lopez said.
This SGA event promised the tournament’s winner $25 of credit on Grubhub for their Loyola account, an enticing prize as the end of the semester reaches near. This prize is not uncommon for SGA programming, and interested students can keep an eye out on the Bridge and social media for future opportunities to win and connect.