As students settle into campus for the beginning of the spring 2021 semester, they are being welcomed back with open arms by the Student Activities Department. The hard work of the Student Activities office and the Off the Hook team in the last semester is being carried over to the spring with lots of activities and plans for students to get involved on campus.
“Socially distanced in-person and virtual events are still rolling. We plan to have something every week, if not two to three events each week, so that is a challenge I have tasked my staff with so there is always something to do,” said Sarah Guzzo, Director of Student Activities.
Continued events from last semester include make-and-take events, such as the hanging plants takeaway that occured on Tuesday, Feb. 2, comedian acts, and possibly even a second season of the Masked Marlin that occurred over instagram during the winter break.
Students can look out for new favorite activities such as virtual trivia and virtual game nights, plus many other activities where students can get involved with friends and possibly even win prizes.
Students can look forward to a previously postponed tradition coming back in the spring semester. Student Activities is hoping to bring back the Christmas Tree Lighting and 12 Days of Christmas Sing-off during the end of the spring semester. Even though Christmas has passed, the tree lighting will hopefully occur toward the end of the spring semester and, “we will be sending everyone off with the loudest sing-off yet,” Guzzo said.
The Student Activities office is continuing to brainstorm ways to bring back other traditions that COVID-19 has prevented from happening including AirBand, Mudgames and more. The Off the Hook team is also trying to think of new ways to host events that students will be able to participate in while remaining safe .
“Fall semester was our time to experiment and see what works well and what doesn’t. Now we have that semester under our belt and we can push the limits in our creativity. I am excited to see what my staff can come up with this semester,” Guzzo said.
Upcoming events that students can look forward to in the next few weeks include a Black History Month bingo where students will have to match historical African American figures with specific facts about their lives, a paint by number featuring prominent African American historical figures and a custom puzzle make and take kit.
For continued updates on activities on campus, students can find details about weekly activities in their ‘This Week’ email sent from Student Activities. Other details can be found in the Student Activities Event Calendar, and on the Off the Hook Instagram page, @marlinsoffthehook.
Lauren Faulkner
lafaulkner@vwu.edu