By Cole Strzelecki
The Campus Activities Board (CAB) has recently selected its EBoard for the upcoming academic year. The new selection features many returning EBoard members, some of which are taking on new positions in CAB. At the same time, a few new faces have joined the EBoard, to give these higher positions a try.
Samantha Sterner will be next year’s President of the Campus Activities Board. In this position, she will oversee the other chair members of CAB and make sure that they are doing their jobs and getting work done to keep the organization running. She will also be reporting information back to the student senate so that the student body knows what the board has planned.
Sterner has already been on CAB’s EBoard before and has become well versed in creating programs for the organization. “I’ve enjoyed every aspect of being a part of CAB,” she explained, “So I wanted to step up as president to help with the board’s success.” One thing Sterner is most excited about with her role on the EBoard is taking on both next year’s Family and Friends Weekend event and the retreat for the CAB EBoard.
When considering the focus and goals of the Campus Activities Board in the future, Sterner wants to put on events that get the campus community excited. “Putting on programs in the most efficient way possible is what I want the EBoard to improve on from this past year,” she stated. Sterner will steer CAB in the right direction with this goal, just as presidents before her have.
Speaking of former presidents of CAB, the board’s current President, Kevin Sharpe, will continue as a part of the EBoard. However, he will be taking on the position of Special Events chair.
Sharpe has been with CAB since he was a freshman and has been both the Traditions chair and has served a one and a half year term as President. During his time as President, he focused on reconstructing the Campus Activities Board by changing what the EBoard positions were and their roles on the board. “I didn’t want to leave after being President,” Sharpe explained, “I enjoy being with the EBoard and the family-like environment they’ve built.” As such, Sharpe happily takes the position of Special Events chair to help maintain CAB’s status as a “lean, mean programming machine.”
Many other new EBoard members share similar focuses as Sharpe, one such being Ivy Begley. Begley will be next year’s Unity chairperson for CAB, ensuring diversity and inclusion through programs and teaming up with clubs such as U&ME to make programs. Her goal in the upcoming year is to make sure the board listens and responds to what students want to see from CAB events to “be the best CAB [they] can be.”
Similarly, the new Golden Bear Pride chair, Courtney Farrell, aims to bring new and innovative ideas to the campus through events. Under this position, it is her job to do anything that demonstrates being proud to be a golden bear and, as such, will be planning events such as next year’s Homecoming weekend. Being on the EBoard this year was “everything [she] wanted and more” to her, and she has “a lot of fun ideas” for her future events. Farrell will ensure that everyone feels proud to be a golden bear.
The new Director of Membership, Allison Stanich, feels similar about being a part of the Campus Activities Board. She is “excited to work with the new EBoard to create programs people will talk about.” Stanich is also excited to meet new people, such as next year’s first-year class, and get them involved. She is definitely in the proper role for that, as the Director of Membership position makes sure that members of CAB show up to both meetings and events.
Stanich isn’t alone when it comes to getting more people to show up, as Madelaine Martin feels similar. Martin plans on getting more people to show up to their general Monday meetings at seven so that people can “see behind the scenes of CAB and get more involved.” Martin will be CAB’s Communications chair for the second year in a row and will be in charge of hanging posters around campus to spread the word about events. She will also be videotaping the events.
With all of the events CAB puts on, there needs to be someone to organize the board’s budget. That’s where Veronica Brunette comes in. Brunette will be next year’s Financial chair for CAB and will track the board’s purchases and make sure they stay on budget. Brunette explained that she feels very comfortable in this position, having been treasurer for her high school’s student council. Other than focusing on fulfilling the duties of her primary role, she also wants to focus on making people happy to be at our University through CAB’s events.
Grace Ryan, CAB’s Traditions Committee chair for next year, feels the same way. Ryan’s role at CAB is to organize programs and events on campus that already are or can become traditions for the students on the WNE campus to enjoy. She wants to “explore new ideas for events and hopefully see everyone else on campus enjoy them,” to make fun experiences for everyone at Western New England University.
The new EBoard for the Campus Activities Board is prepared to create another year of enjoyable events for our University’s students. With members old and new collaborating with their own creative and exciting ideas, Western New England University is undoubtedly in for a treat with what CAB has in store.
