By AMANDA SAOUD

Staff Intern

Lindsay Cassidy, a senior accounting major at Oakland University, is a bit disappointed. Not because of the winter weather that just won’t end, or an unfair grade from a professor, but because the Guitar Hero tournament she organized as part of her job at Bumpers Game Room only attracted four participants.

“The grand prize is $80 in gift certificates,” said Cassidy. “Second place gets a $30 prize, so your odds are pretty good when there are only four people, but it’s not what we wanted for the event. We wanted something much, much bigger.”

Cassidy and her fellow employees at Bumpers were hoping that the tournament would draw in a new crowd of people to the usually unoccupied game room in the basement of the Oakland Center.

Still, she doesn’t let herself get too discouraged.

    

“I do a lot more work here than I’m required to, because I love it so much. It’s more of a lifestyle than a job. We’re all friends outside of work too, we hang out and chill together. It’s a great environment and I want to see it grow, I think its starting to.”

    

Cassidy, who has worked at Bumpers for two years, has begun to notice a lot more foot traffic, especially during peak lunch time hours in the OC. She believes this is due in part to the overcrowding in the upper level. But she also gives credit to the work she and other employees have done to promote Bumpers.

    

“We started a Facebook group. I’m pretty much in charge of that, and we send out messages when we’re having events or giveaways. We do everything we can to get people down here just to see what a cool place it is to hang out in.”

    

Like any college student who is also working, finding balance can be a problem. Cassidy says that Bumpers is such a great job for a student because the atmosphere is so relaxed. She doesn’t stress about having to go to work, and having quiet time to study at work is a great bonus, too.

    

“No one comes in on Sundays, so I can study then,” Cassidy said.

    

However, she admits she would happily trade study time if it meant that Bumpers was thriving.

“The more students we can get in here, the more we can do with it,” she said. “We added the new video game wall, and that’s been pretty popular, but there are so many things that we would be able to offer if we had a bigger crowd who hung out here,” Cassidy said.

“Some people don’t even know about it. There are people who’ve gone to this school for four years and don’t even know that this place exists.”

    

Cassidy encourages all students to come pay a visit to Bumpers and give the staff some feedback.

    

“There really is a lot to do here already, people just don’t realize it,” Cassidy said. “We’re always looking for new suggestions too. We really want ideas from the students, so tell us what you think. Come hang out with us. Bring your friends.”