By Hailey MacDonald, Editor-in-Chief
The Campus Activities Board brings life to the campus of Western New England University. Led by nine student leaders and considered a subcommittee of Student Senate, this organization, dubbed “CAB,” is the reason that so many students have something to do on the weekends.
To start off the new year strong, CAB has a new executive board filled with a handful of students who work hard to plan, organize, and implement a bunch of programs throughout the semester. This team of students is new and fresh — in fact, the only returning executive board member is Kevin Sharpe, who holds the Presidential role from now until December 2021.
The purpose of CAB is to entertain and educate the campus community as well as provide a safe space for students to become engaged within the community. All students have different hobbies and interests, so CAB must often think outside of the box to provide students with events and activities throughout the semester that will engage everyone.
This past fall semester presented many obstacles in terms of programming and socialization on campus, but the previous CAB executive board prevailed and managed to have another successful semester. Now, in the spring semester, this brand new team is determined to work through these unprecedented times just as their predecessors did.
Sharpe, the former Traditions Chairperson and the new President, will not only be putting on events throughout the semester, but he also aims “to be a support system for my fellow CABBIES, to be a face of CAB, to bridge between students and faculty, and to bring what students want to WNE.” He also shares that CAB will be putting on a comic con this semester, which is something Sharpe is especially excited for because it is one of his hobbies.
Sharpe concludes with his favorite aspect of CAB, which is the fact that “it is a family, and it always seems to be growing.”
Colin Ryan, a junior at the University, is CAB’s Financial Chair. “My main responsibility as the Financial Chair is to oversee all the financial operations that CAB performs,” shares Ryan. As the programming board on campus, CAB’s budget is considerably large, which challenges Ryan to put his skills as a Finance major to the test. He creates budget proposals, allocates money to each of the executive board members for their programs, and tracks all of the club’s spending in order to ensure that CAB stays under budget and spends their money properly.
“My favorite part about CAB is without a doubt the people! The people I get to work with day in and day out are great,” says Ryan, who not only shares a great appreciation and respect for the members of the executive board, but also for the club’s staff advisor. “Also, Claire has been an amazing help and another great person to work with. She is always very helpful and wants nothing but the best for CAB and everyone involved in CAB.”
The Travel Chair of the organization is Makenna White. Her primary focus is on planning events that can occur off-campus, which is an obstacle amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Makenna is still working hard to fulfill her duties and plan excursions that would be fun for the campus community.
“I am looking forward to working out the details for an axe throwing trip I have in mind,” says White. “I can’t wait to gauge interest and excitement about something that maybe most people wouldn’t usually think about doing!”
Similar to her fellow executive board members, White shares that her “favorite part about CAB so far has been getting to work and collaborate with my fantastic EBoard and our even more fantastic advisor.”
The mastermind behind the social media posts and other forms of marketing and publicity is Alexandria Coleman, who is the organization’s Communications Chair. On top of those responsibilities, she plans her own programs and offers support to her peers, too. “I am currently working on a self care grab-and-go, and I am very eager to see how it goes,” Coleman says.
Coleman is looking forward to being in this position for many reasons and is especially excited to see how all of the CAB events turn out this semester. She also is ready to hear what the members of the University community want to see. Additionally, her “favorite part about CAB is definitely meeting all the people on the board and getting closer with them.”
CAB’s Engagement Chair, Dan Doyle, aims to “create and host events that provide educational value and/or directly engage students with interactive aspects.” In his first term on the executive board of the organization, he is currently working with the Residence Hall Association on S.E.X. Week.
Particularly, Doyle is putting together a BINGO event during S.E.X. Week, “where some of the props or key features will go along with the S.E.X Week theme. There will also be a few goodies that students will receive when they pick up their BINGO Boards prior to the event.” In addition to this event, Doyle has more in store. “I am looking forward to creating programs and events that will not only be backed with an educational value, but will also be fun for participants,” he says.
Evan Grocki is the new Special Events Chair. In this position, he merely puts together big events that are meaningful to the campus community. “The program I’m currently working on is 2000’s Night,” says Grocki. “This event aims to hit students with some nostalgia and help them chill for a few hours. Just everything we loved growing up in the 2000’s.”
When it comes to what he enjoys about CAB, Evan shares a common sentiment with the other CAB members: “Being in CAB, my favorite part so far has been the creativity of event planning. The club really encourages you to get wild with it, and brainstorming this semester’s events has been a lot of fun.”
The Golden Bear Pride Chair, Samantha Sterner, plans events and programs with the sole purpose of making students excited to be a golden bear. She is planning things that the Western New England University campus has never seen before. Specifically, she is looking forward to something big that will take place on Friday, February 26.
“I am most looking forward to being able to share my love for the university and make others excited to be a golden bear,” says Sterner.
All in all, the Campus Activities Board’s Executive Board is a group of dedicated, excited individuals who all hold an interest in entertaining and educating the student population. When it comes to what you should expect for this upcoming year, Makenna White says it best: “We’re quite the creative and funny group, so I would expect good things out of us this year if I were you.”
