Commuter students embrace secret agent side, connect through Danger-Tag game

St. Thomas commuter students will have to be on the watch for plastic spoons in the upcoming weeks thanks to an Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) sponsored activity called Danger-Tag.

Students participating in Danger-Tag receive a sealed envelope with information on their assigned target. (Caroline Rode/TommieMedia)
Students participating in Danger-Tag receive a sealed envelope with information on their assigned target. (Caroline Rode/TommieMedia)

According to the official Danger-Tag rules, students are given a “target” and the goal is to eliminate one’s assigned target by taking a plastic spoon, touching them and saying got you.

Neighborhood Student Advisor junior Bobby Ranallo planned the event so that interested commuter students could send in their photo, name, year and major and receive the same information about another student. This student is their target.

“It’s a way to build community by doing something a little different,” Ranallo said.

OCSS area manager Josh Hengemuhle hopes that an event like this will have a positive impact on commuter students

“I believe the idea is to create an event where students who live off campus have a chance to connect in a different way, perhaps with someone they don’t even know yet,” Hengemuhle said.

Ranallo said a high school experience inspired him to create Danger-Tag.

“I used to play rugby with a bunch of guys from Mounds View, and they’d always have these big, elaborate games of Nerf assassin. I always wanted to do that,” Ranallo said.

Freshman commuter Angela Nguyen is not currently playing Danger-Tag but said that the idea is unique and an interesting way to meet other people.

“The people you’re going up against, you don’t really know. That part is cool, but it makes it more difficult,” Nguyen said.

Sophomore commuter Mannie Cruceru thought the game sounded interesting but did have some suggestions.

“It’d probably be more fun if you had Nerf guns to use instead of just a spoon,” Cruceru said. “It would definitely be better in May because then we could use water guns outside.”

Sophomore commuter Anthony Piche agrees with Cruceru.

“I’d definitely play if we could just use Nerf guns,” Piche said. “That’d be more interactive and fun too.”

Ranallo said the event has already begun and will continue until all but one student has been eliminated.

Caroline Rode can be reached at rode8318@stthomas.edu.