On Tuesday, March 21, Southern Utah University’s Student Programming Board hosted a black tie ball in the Sharwan Smith Student Center for all current students.
The ball had a variety of activities to participate in, including waltz lessons, live music from student performers, character artists, a mentalist performance and karaoke — all free of charge to those who attended.
A large crowd of students from all across campus came together to enjoy the festivities. The ball was a great opportunity for students to unwind and take a well-earned break from their studies as finals week draws near.
“Our main focus is to provide fun activities for students. We’re basically making college fun in a safe way,” said Sara Larsen, an assistant director of the SPB. “One of the big things that we try to do at SPB is we want to try and create activities and events that you can’t just do at home. We want college to be a fun experience for everyone; it shouldn’t just be focused on trying to get a job in the future.”
By providing free and engaging recreation for the student body all year round, SPB hopes to increase student retention rates. They aim their events at all types of students, including out-of-state students, non-traditional students and those on a foreign exchange program.
Going to the ball also provided the opportunity for students to meet and interact with their peers in ways they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Waltz lessons, for example, allowed participants to mix and match partners, which encouraged getting out of one’s comfort zone and trying a new activity with a new person.
Overall, the black tie ball was a great success, and the SPB will continue to provide inclusive and exciting events to the campus, hopefully for many years to come.
Larsen encourages students looking for ways to get more involved on campus to join SPB, even if they don’t have previous event planning experience. Those interested in more information can visit the SPB website.
Article by: Jacob Horne
life@suunews.net
Photos by: Devan Call
