Re-imagining student activities with campus partnerships and a yellow umbrella
The organization that was once confused with SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Council) now has a new name and re-energized purpose. The former Student Activities Council (SAC) is now the Campus Activities Board (CAB).
“We changed the name this year because students confused us with SAAC a lot,” said Sarah Shafer, resident director and director of campus activities. “We are also re-imagining the way we do student activities to meet current students' needs. CAB leaders chose Gen Z yellow, which represents energy, vibrance, optimism, happiness, and warmth. The logo is a trendy one-line drawing of a taxicab that was created by Emelia Kublin ‘17, resident director for Whittier and Woolman halls.”
CAB’s creative initiatives to reach out to students more effectively include partnerships with Student Senate and Athletics.
“We want students to take more ownership in campus life and enjoy it along the way,” Shafer said. “We partnered with Student Senate to host the Mayor’s Bowl, a Malone vs. Walsh flag football game, with the intent of bringing more comradery and competition to campus this year. We’ve also partnered with Athletics to bring 'hype' to athletic events by initiating Spirit Week before Homecoming, designating one day as a white out' for the volleyball game against Walsh. We attended with face paint and white flags, and Koby Todd '24 led the student section in cheers and chants. We want to continue to bridge the gap between campus life and athletics.”
There’s a yellow umbrella popping up around campus. What’s that about?
“I was once inspired by a pop-up flower shop cart I saw on Instagram, and that got me thinking about what kind of pop up shops would be a fit for Malone,” said Shafer. “Pop-ups are a great way to generate a new kind of fun that is found in surprise and spontaneity. We’ve received positive feedback on our ‘Yellow Umbrella initiatives’ so far and will continue to pop-up once a month in the spring."
The Campus Activity Board is gauging the success of their goals by student involvement and excitement.
“Our mission is still evolving, but we’re focusing solely on this: re-imagining ‘fun’ to see a strengthening of campus traditions and an increase in campus spirit and student involvement,” Shafer said. “With so many competing commitments for students’ time, the CAB team has redesigned our events to have an ‘open house’ feel, allowing students to stop by freely without committing to the entire event. We feel it’s important to provide events that meet our students where they’re at.”
As campus returns to a “new normal,” new activities that grab attention and garner community are exciting to witness.
“We initiated Spirit Week and Grocery Bingo, featuring ‘grocery bundles’ as prizes, like laundry essentials, bathroom essentials, dorm room essentials, and a breakfast pack,” she said. “We also partnered with the Alumni Office to bring the Christmas Market to Malone so that students could share their creative side and gain business experience by pricing and selling their skills.”
As CAB changes and grows, students leaders are learning a lot about helping their peers rediscover the excitement of campus life.
“It’s really energizing to see people so involved on campus again! This role has shown me the real value of community and how special Malone really is,” said Madeline Gay ‘23, co-director of CAB. “I love helping to make students’ Malone experience a little more fun.”