Student Leadership and Engagement Center

Like all the other units in Student Affairs, the Student Activities Board (SAB) has had to engage in some creative thinking to restructure our plans for students this year! In the month of October, board members would normally be recovering from the grueling programming of Homecoming activities while finalizing plans for Bootacular, the annual Halloween carnival. However, we are not in a normal year. This year,  SAB programmers have literally stepped up to the challenge of not only hosting online events, but being creative with in-person activities. Figuring out how to host quick and casual events with gatherings limited to no more than 50 people has been challenging, but the SAB has come up with several alternatives, including providing students with grab-and-go treats, relocating to outside locations when possible, and hosting online events.

The SAB engaged students in celebrating National Banana Split Day and National Pecan Cookie Day by passing out Dippin dots and cookies. The first Bingo night was held outside, and students registered in advance to participate. In order to accommodate more students, two sessions of Bingo were held. SAB has moved Bengal Wednesday to outside locations and partnered with ROTC to expand the event. In addition to Bengal gear, we are also passing out tacos! When I say SAB is working on outside events, I don't just mean outside our facility. SAB has worked hard to partner with community businesses to provide students tickets to various activities at places like Outer Limits Fun Zone and Geronimo’s. SAB is helping students  connect to campus even if they are not comfortable being physically present. To engage students who are unable to make it in person, we have developed online competitions ranging from Kahoot to Facebook selfies.

SAB isn’t the only group in the Student Leadership and Engagement Center to make adjustments. Student Organizations has seen two new clubs emerge since the beginning of the semester: the PAC Rats and the Interprofessional Health Disciplines Student Association. To provide better access and convenience, the new officer and financial trainings have been moved online. The fraternities and sororities have also adapted to new guidelines for recruiting and will be offering bids throughout the semester.

One thing remains clear: even in a pandemic, students need ways to connect with one another and be engaged outside the classroom. SAB strives to help students form those connections. Although we know how valuable our work is in a normal year, it has been exceedingly important this year!