Tucked away in the back corner of the Otter Student Union Rookery, unbeknownst to many students, is likely the fifth best kept Pump is Up dance machine in all of the U.S.
Robert Redoble, an alumni from Cal State San Luis Obispo and longtime coach of the game, has been working hard to keep the machine refurbished and in tip top shape, almost as hard as he has worked on being an excellent coach to the students who now run the Pump It Up Club.
“I did compete nationally for 15 years, but now I’m more in mentor mode. I still like to use the game to stay in shape, but I really just enjoy helping the students learn it to up their fitness and self confidence,” said Redoble. “Oftentimes in rhythm game communities, things can be very toxic, but this club started with 40 plus people pre-COVID and since making a comeback, the community has been very welcoming and inclusive. It’s great to see, I haven’t ever seen anything like it, this campus community is definitely an exception to the typical toxic attitudes.”
“This is a great machine to start off on, the pads are very well maintained. In America, arcades are in really bad shape, everything usually is in terrible condition,” said Redoble. He is the whole reason this machine is in such good condition, paying out of pocket to take care of it, adjust the sensors, keep things level, keeping it as pristine as possible for students.
“This is one of the only universities that keeps this machine on freeplay mode for the students to use for free. Other universities will charge students a dollar or two to play per-round,” said Redoble.
Gilberto Villicana, a second year mechatronics engineering major and president of Pump It Up Club, is eager to open the game up to the community of Cal State Monterey Bay. “The club is all about being a safe place for people to be able to learn and play the game, pick their own challenges, have friendly rivalry, grow their skills, that sort of thing,” said Villicana.
“Robert basically taught me basically everything I know about the game. After he got me interested in the game, I wanted to encourage others to play as well and experience the same thing I did.”
Nadia Alcaraz, a fourth-year business major and vice president of the club, said she’s been playing since her first semester at CSUMB in 2022, and hasn’t stopped since.
“There were plans to recreate the previous club that had interested me for a long time, but Gilbert actually took the reins and made it a reality again,” said Alcaraz. “The franchise is older than most students on campus, with media coverage dating back to 2005. Look up videos like ‘Pump It Up Freestyle,’ or ‘Pump It Up tournaments.’ There is a world of talented players who do not necessarily know how to ‘dance’ while still having a blast on the machine.”
For anyone feeling nervous about trying it out, Alcaraz offers some tips.
“We teach everything players need to know about levels and difficulties in the game itself, because some charts are from older games where Level 8s could be Level 10s, and so on. We have a lot of fun teaching players how to hone their skills on the machine and play to the best of their abilities! It’s honestly just a good workout once you get to the more challenging levels, which we happily train our members to do!”
The club tries to meet twice a month on Thursdays, but is subject to change based on the Rookery’s availability. “We want to host another Dance After Dark, where we can hopefully get the Rookery at OSU for the evening and turn the lights low so the machine can really shine, much like our players! We are also hoping to plan Round 1 Salinas trips, Tourneys for fun prizes and gift cards, and fundraisers to save up for the next edition of Pump It Up!” said Alacaraz.
To keep up on when they meet and when future events take place follow them at piu.csumb on instagram.
“Healthy small competition really grows the friendship circle,” says Villicana.