Written by: Ashley Creech

The Campus Events Board team is University of Washington Bothell’s very own student-run event planning organization under Student Engagement and Activities. All of the major events on campus, including the ARC carnival and Spooktacular, as well as many other events that will be held over the course of this year,  are organized and planned by this six-member team who use their creativity and skills in engagement and community building to create a welcoming feeling for new and returning students every year.

This year, there is a whole new team of members for the 2019-2020 Campus Events Board team. including Serena Tran, chair, Jess Rizk, entertainment programmer, William Ho, public relations programmer, Pei Wei Chung, special events and traditions coordinator, Maria Martinez, social issues and awareness programmer, Danh Vu, marketing and graphic designer and Pauline Tolentino, advisor.

The campus events board is committed to providing all students with a purposeful and positive collegiate experience through diverse programs and events. Some of CEB’s learning outcomes for their specific programs include: ARC Carnival attendees will build connections with UWB & Cascadia College students, staff, and faculty on-campus. Students will learn about the resources and programs available on campus. New and returning students will have the opportunity to explore new interests and connections within the campus. 

As for planning the events, it required a lot of organization, coordination and time. Campus Events Board recruits plenty of volunteers to help run the events. The event planning process first begins with brainstorming and making sure all the ideas fit pertaining to the desired theme and filled up the entire space of the ARC Overlook. Moreover, CEB has to keep in mind about different interests of the student body and how they can create the most engagement – this is where the idea of the stamp sheet came up, which tracks which students do which activities. Overall, CEB is always inspired by Pinterest DIYs for the decorations and different activities.

Campus Events Board is under Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) whose programs are student driven and grounded in equity, inclusivity, and social justice. SEA constructs environments where students co-create collective learning experiences with their peers, which cultivates their agency. The organizations under SEA support students as they navigate co-curricular educational opportunities to clarify their identities, purpose, and sense of belonging on campus. Through their involvement, students will be prepared to engage in their communities and contribute to meaningful social change. 

Campus Events Board recently returned back from their annual trip to The National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). NACA is the recognized leader in higher education providing knowledge, ideas and resources for campus life. They provide their members with programs and events focusing on student and professional leadership development, program planning, diversity and more. 

Attending NACA provides Campus Events Board with opportunities for the development of leadership skills with educational sessions to provide an understanding of what they can bring to the UWB campus to satisfy needs and wants of the student body. While attending NACA, they keep different programs in mind that students may like to see that would bring more diversity and inclusion to the student community. By talking to other college campuses, CEB gains inspiration for new event ideas to plan for campus.