By KATE PIERCE
News/Managing Editor
Most clubs at Saint Rose plan a few events a semester to reach out to students. One club, the Students Events Board, is all about coordinating events, trips, and shows for students to get more involved on campus.
“You meet so many people and make so many connections,” said Danika Guerin, vice president of the club. “As a member of SEB you get to go out on amazing adventures on trips and go to great events to meet awesome comedians and musicians.”
A few upcoming events from SEB include a Saint Rose version of Wheel of Fortune at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 and a senior class ice cream social at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 in the main lounge of the Events and Athletics Center, a lip sync battle.
Events are open to Saint Rose students, and students of any class year and any major can join in on helping to plan events. There are over fifty members in the club of varying class years and majors.
To be an active member students have to attend weekly club meetings which are held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in Standish A/B, as well as be present for in the SEB office at a specified time each week. For general members, the total time commitment is a little over an hour each week.
“If you can’t make it to the meetings we’ll work with you so you can participate,” said Alexandra Gibson, the president of the club.
Looking ahead to next month, SEB will be hosting a Dodgeball Madness tournament on March 20, as well as a trip to a local bar for graduating seniors who are .
There are a few brand new events in the works for this semester, which will be announced as the dates approach.
“I’m excited to see the new events coming up,” said Gibson.
SEB is broken down into committees to plan each different type of event. The novelties committee organizes events like trivia nights, brownie or cupcake bake offs, scavenger hunts, and other on campus activities. This committee requires a lot of hands on work the day of to make events run smoothly.
The musical entertainment chair organizes musical game nights, and on campus performances. Other comedic performances are arranged by the comedians committee, which brings about five well known comedians to campus each year.
One of the committees that is most hands on during prep work is the trips committee. This committee plans events in the community and an overnight trip that have included Portland, Maine, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the past.
The semi-formal committee organizes a semesterly dance, held in an off campus venue.
“The best part about being the semi formal chair is the details that go into it,” said Rebecca Zaleski, the chairperson for semi formal. She gets to bring together the whole night, from the centerpieces to the party favors, and everything in between.
“It’s different from other chairs who are planning several events each semester,” said Zaleski. “I am putting everything into one night, has become my child by the time the event happens.”
The venue is the most important factor when Zaleski plans the theme for semi formal.
“You don’t want a Hollywood themed dance in a rustic barn,” she said. “From there, it’s all the little details, DJ, photo booth, centerpieces, party favors. These last two, you really want to work into your theme.”
Events specifically tailored to the graduating class are organized by the senior events committee.
“I have been working with my committee to come up with innovative events and plan a super fun senior week that I hope many seniors will participate in,” said Grace Giancola, the chairperson for the senior events committee.
Giancola joined SEB last year as a junior, and helped to plan events for the novelties committee. She decided to run for a position in the board after having a great experience working with the other members and chair people.
“The Senior Events Chair has been a really fun position so far because I have gotten to put on events for my classmates and peers,” said Giancola. “It’s really rewarding to see students enjoying events that we work so hard to put on, and to receive positive feedback from them. It’s been a great way to spend my last year at Saint Rose.”
At the ice cream social Giancola’s committee will be raffling off spots on the senior cruise, which is one of the events during the senior week of events in the spring. There will also be senior t shirts for sale, which are a tradition each year.
The chair-people work together to plan events and provide opportunities for students on campus, which creates a collaborative environment.
“Working with people with different personalities, work tactics, and leadership styles is definitely something that is challenge,” said Guerin. “But with SEB everyone wants to work together to get things done and make the best of it.”
It’s not always easy for students to attend and plan so many events, especially while balancing school work.
“For me, the hardest thing is balancing my time,” said Zaleski, who is a graduate student. “We all support one another, and I want to be there for all of the other chairs, but have to find that balance between school work, my personal life and being a part of this club. If I could, I would go to every single event.”
SEB also sells movie tickets to Regal Cinemas that can be redeemed at any Regal movie theater at any time. The tickets are $5, are sold during office hours, and students can buy one ticket per week with a valid student ID.
Students are encouraged to stop by the SEB office anytime during office hours to buy a movie ticket, and to see what events are coming up. The office is located in the EAC, across from the doors to main lounge as you enter the building from the quad. It can be a bit confusing to find if you don’t know where to go, which has resulted in some humorous encounters.
“We’ve been mistaken for many other things,” said Gibson. “Once, someone thought our office was a supply closet.”
SEB is also open to collaborating with other clubs to organize events that will draw in more student participation. Working with other clubs allows SEB to plan for events that more students may be interested in as well.
“I really want people to know what SEB is a what it has to offer. There are so many opportunities that people can truly take advantage of. I just want to see this club grow into the best it can be,” said Guerin.
Whether you are a member of SEB, a chairperson, or a student who just attends a few of the events the club provides, there are many opportunities to get involved.
“SEB is a community that will follow you wherever you go,” said Guerin. “Not one day goes by that i’m not grateful to be apart of this entire experience.”
