Students may soon start seeing more exciting campus events. Various organizations of the College sent members to the sixth annual Passport to Programming event on Saturday.
Attendees learned valuable information about how to better their individual programs. The goal was to learn how to plan more interesting and successful events to involve more of the student body.
The event ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and included a range of seminars and tutorials on topics such as event planning, publicity, fundraising, risk management, community service, teambuilding and much more.
“Each year we have changed the format of Passport to Programming … to meet the needs of the students,” Tim Asher, director of Student Activities, said in an opening speech.
“Students have raised concerns regarding the Student Center and student activities,” Asher said. The Brower Student Center (BSC) staff and student activities coordinators want to show students that they are listening, he added.
Asher mentioned recent installations and projects, including brand new Nintendo Wii systems in the game area of the student center as well as additional movie nights by College Union Board (CUB) and daytime activities to give students more to do.
The office of Student Activities and Leadership Development and student center staff have also partnered up with Sodexo, said Asher. He said “free food giveaway” days are in the early stages of development. Students will recieve free food and treats in the Brower Student Center on certain “food” holidays such as sandwich day and donut day.
Asher also urged students to think of creative ways to use the Brower Student Center and to bring ideas to the office of Student Activities.
According to Asher, the building is also due for a makeover, which will include new carpeting throughout the building, new furniture, and bathroom renovations.
A presentation called “The Student’s Passport to Hassle Free Event Planning” given by the BSC assistant managers followed Asher’s speech.
The presentation covered everything involved with student event planning, including booking a location, choosing refreshments, posting flyers and advertisements, organizing the agenda and getting approval from Student Activities and Leadership Development.
Event planning can now be done almost entirely online, via the Student Activities and Leadership Development Web site.
According to Dave Conner, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Programs, the students that went to this year’s Passport to Programming made up the largest group ever to attend in the six years that the event has been taking place.
Most students attended because all Student Activity Fee (SAF) funded organizations were required to send representatives in order to maintain their SAF funding, but others were there voluntarily.
