Each year in AP Psychology, teacher Courtney Buffington has made “perception alterting goggle Olympics” a part of her lesson plan. This activity allows students to simulate the experience of lack of motor control to understand the affect of alcohol consumption on the brain.

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the cerebellum, the part of your brain responsible for coordinating movement and perhaps even some forms of learning, is affected by alcohol.

This interruption of function in motor skills in the cerebellum is simulated by having students compete in games which test their motor skills while wearing goggles, disrupting their vision.

Some of the events include a hula hoop obstacle course, playing catch with a football, limbo, hitting a balloon in the air, walking hand in hand with a partner and jumping to avoid a pool noodle.

Seen competing in limbo, senior Ella Quigley said this event was her favorite.

“I got to do the different levels,” Quigley said. “I made it to the last level — and like I’ve always been good at limbo.”

Quigley believes that while the activity is fun, it is also an important educational experience.

“You get to test your visual sense and see which physical activities you can and can’t do,” Quigley said. “I think it’s important to be able to learn stuff while also having fun.”