In an inconspicuous room at the Calapooia Center, Student Life and Leadership event planners bounce ideas back and forth on the next big event to put on for LBCC students. While it may not be a full SLC meeting, almost all of the event planners are present. At the front of the room sits Lia Schmeck, the chieftain of events for the Student Leadership Council.
While planners still have time to come up with ideas for their events, it’s quickly running out. Event budgets for spring term are due in just a few days. Proposing budgets comes with scheduling an event time, acquiring volunteers, preparing to market the event, and a host of other challenges. In other words, the pressure is on.
But the mood in the workshop feels the opposite. Planners hang out, talking about restaurants they’ve loved recently. They playfully tease quieter members, remarking they must be hiding a big secret on their next awesome event. It feels like a community.
Community is at the core of events at LBCC. Planners are constantly taking in feedback from students, analysing previous events, and workshopping ideas to improve their future events.
In the process of planning an event, Tiffany Denning says she thinks about how she used to feel as an LBCC student when planning events.
“In my first term here I just felt really disengaged. I didn’t know anybody, it seemed like there wasn’t a big way to get to know people. When I do the events, I just try to keep in mind how I felt, and how I would have felt more comfortable.”
Ricardo Nunez, another event planner for SLC, echoed a similar sentiment. His goals are to provide events where students can become more involved with the LBCC community, as well as supporting them with essential services and resources. He says he always plans his events with food in mind. Whether it’s a full meal, or just some snacks and drinks, students can expect food at the events Nunez plans and executes.
One of those events, “Sandwich Heaven,” is undergoing planning and preparation. Currently, the event is slated for April, and will provide LBCC students free sandwiches to grab before or after their classes.
While some organizers like to focus on specific campus needs, such as access to food, event organizers are united in their overall goal of creating a community at LBCC.
“Our main goal is just student connections and engagement. I think we have the ability to be able to make everyone feel a little more included here,” says Dennings.
Schmeck said she’s really happy with how the event planners have collaborated and executed their events this school year. One previous event that stands out to her is the Multicultural Winter Solstice, organized by Nunez.
The Winter Solstice happened at the end of January, and offered snacks from a variety of holiday celebrations, each from different cultures and countries. Snacks included fortune cookies from the Dongzhi Festival, St. Lucia saffron buns from St. Lucia Day, and krampus sugar cookies from Krampus Night
Looking towards the near future, Schmeck is excited about the upcoming talent show, which she says has been in the works since last spring. After nearly a year of planning and preparation, Meei-Shiang Poujade is ready to unveil the Student Talent Show at LBCC. The show will finally arrive on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Some of the other upcoming events include the return of Katelynn Anstey’s Mindful Market, and a Halftime Show for the last LBCC home basketball game of the season. The show is a collaborative effort by Tiffany Denning and Meei-Shiang Poujade
Students interested in attending any of the upcoming events can visit the student union on campus, or go to www.linnbenton.edu/about/calendar/index.php to see a list of upcoming events, and when they will be running.
