When I set out to write if the entertainment at Elizabethtown College competes with other schools, I had a predetermined notion of what I wanted to say. In several instances within my first two semesters, I wished there had been an event for me to go to with my friends. I also heard local schools hold events featuring big-name acts — something the College has not done since I arrived.
As a first-year, I had my viewpoint. However, I did not have knowledge on how entertainment is handled. Therefore, I elected to speak with Toni Villella, director of student activities and campus recreation, to learn more. In fact, there was much for me to learn and realize.
“I oversee the Office of Student Activities (OSA), which has different programming branches,” Villella said. “SWEET does our social programming, E-Fit does our fitness programs, Intramurals does our competitions, The Body Shop is our campus fitness facility and OSA does our large-scale, student body programming.”
Villella continued, explaining how speakers and events are determined throughout the year. “Our nine-student social program board, Students Working to Entertain Etown, does research on who they want to bring to campus and what events they want to create,” she said.
“They do a lot of events themselves, such as Pinterest and bingo nights. For comedians, we go to a regional and national conference each semester, where nationally-touring bands, comedians and magicians get to showcase their talents in a venue where our students can preview them before they come to campus. Our students have already seen them perform a part of their act. They know the content and if it will work well for Etown. We are bringing the best of what we have seen, that are within our price range, for weekly entertainment.”
Though tuition and loans are two constant focuses for me, I did not take budget into consideration when initially thinking about how the school chooses events. Sometimes judgment comes too quickly. I think many students at the College can relate. After all, time is quickly passing, April is already here and May is quickly approaching.
Also approaching is a bigger event set to take place in a few weeks: TGIS. “TGIS stands for Thank Goodness It’s Spring,” Villella said. “This year will be the 14th anniversary. It is a three-day festival in April, always the last weekend before the last week of class. This year it will be April 24 to April 26. We do activities throughout the evening on Thursday and Friday and through the entire day on Saturday.”
I saw the promotional video for TGIS, but I have yet to experience it. “It is really the last weekend for students to hang out and have fun with their friends before they leave for summer,” Villella said. “I think our weekends are well put together with the calendar, but TGIS takes it to the next level; it is just bigger and better.”
This year’s theme of #TGISEpic was more interactive than in the past, so students had the opportunity to tell us what they wanted to see. The campaign received a lot of feedback from students and a lot of great ideas. Our schedule is being built around what people said they wanted.”
When I learned that TGIS is built around students’ requests, I reconsidered my original thought. Like all other students, I receive a monthly event calendar, filled with constant activity. I view the calendar as it is distributed, in judgment of what is worthy of my time.
Though some events may not appeal to me, many other students look forward to or request the events. I also consider what events coincide with my busy schedule. In the midst of going to class, studying and working, only a couple prime time slots remain in my day. It is unfair for me to state that the College does not have any events just because they fall at inconvenient times for me. The world does not revolve around me; therefore, it is completely reasonable for events to conflict. I think students could benefit from remembering this tidbit and applying it to their own lives.
One last thing I think students can benefit from is remembering there are people on campus trying their best to give us the best possible experience. Villella seems to be one of those people.
“I think, collectively, if you look at the calendar that every student gets, we are by far the most comprehensive student activities office with intramurals, and we do include E-fit,” she said. “SWEET also has a very strong tradition of great programming, so our attendance is very high. Our calendar is a lot more robust than those of our peer institutions. At the same time, our budget is nowhere as large as those of other schools.
Other schools might have the wow factor, but they do not have the concrete content. We give solid matter; we just do not have the money or resources for the wow factor. From a student activities’ perspective, we are looked at as a very good model for other schools, just without the wow factor.
