Many new social spaces and event opportunities are arriving on campus. With every change comes an opportunity to ask: what can we do to engage everyone on campus and make Elizabethtown College a home?

Part of what makes a community strong is social connectedness. Social connectedness is how close people feel to one another, how often they interact with each other and how big a person’s social circle extends. Psychologists agree that people and groups with a higher degree of social connectedness are often more content, confident and healthy. A study from Loyola University in Chicago found that students performed better and developed a greater skill set the more they socialized and stayed active on campus.

Certain places and events have become a part of the Etown experience. Soul Café, a musical showcase in the Blue Bean which often features student performers and groups like the Bachelor of Arts in Music Organization (BAMO), has consistently been an outlet for musical performance and appreciation. The Birdcage has given students pool, ping-pong and foosball tables for a quick break from academic responsibility. Bingo and The Price is Right nights add flair to classic games and get people out of their chairs.

Still, weekends on campus can sometimes feel empty, with students going off-campus to go home or get away. Is there something missing from the social scene at Etown that could be added to encourage people to stay for the weekends?

This year introduces a wave of new opportunities for Etown’s social experience. Conrad’s Corner, a pop-up bar which will move between the KAV and the Blue Bean, recently hosted bingo Friday, Sept. 6. Having a turnout of over 260 people meant that the night was both fun and successful for the new pop-up operation.

Conrad’s Corner offers a brand new kind of space to Etown – one where of-age students are given the option to drink alcohol in a safe environment while still being accessible for underage students. For students who prefer not to drink or otherwise can’t, this pop-up offers a way into the “college experience” without the pressure associated with underage drinking.

While this is a test year for several new changes, the Office of Student Life will continue to test the waters.

Expert Corner

Written by: Dr. Celestino Limas, Vice President of Student Life

A lot of the changes students are seeing on campus are part of efforts by the Office of Student Life to engage with students and open a dialogue about what they’d like to see on campus. Vice President of Student Life Dr. Celestino Limas is aware of how these first two years of having new programs like Conrad’s Corner and events at the Bowers Center can be.

“We want to know what the existing patterns for student activity are and where we can go from there,” Limas said. “It’s important to get a sense for what’s going on from students, because what we think they might want can be different from what they actually want.”

As a new face for the Office of Student Life, and a friendly one at that, Limas has been approached by many students with suggestions for things they’d like to see arrive on campus.

“One of the most requested activities is a rock-climbing wall,” Limas said. “The other is a school quidditch team. The rock wall will be hard to get, but anyone wanting to start a quidditch team definitely can through extracurricular activities.”

Limas assured that he was not someone who would be getting tired of the influx of suggestions any time soon. To him, feedback is key to a happy, connected campus.

“It’s important to get good feedback from students because not only does it give us something to work with, but it makes the students feel like this place is a home to them,” Limas said.

Part of the Office of Student Life’s goals for creating new social spaces is to encourage student participation on campus over the weekends. Limas understands that after a week of studying, working and planning it’s desirable to get away on our days off, which is why he’s excited to be rolling out new weekend events like Conrad’s Corner.

“I like the idea of students staying on campus and having fun. It’s safe, good for the environment and good for the campus,” Limas said.