Anna Rinaggio, Campus Carrier opinions editor
In years past, the Krannert Center Activities Board (KCAB) has played a vital role in making Berry a campus where there is always something to do. Many of us probably remember hearing on the admissions tour that Berry tries to always have something going on so that students stay on campus rather than go home every single weekend. During these past two semesters, however, it has felt like there have been significantly less KCAB events, and students are starting to wonder why.
KCAB has mentioned before that they decided to hold fewer events throughout the semester so that they can spend more money on bigger events such as formal and Casino Night. Initially, this may have sounded appealing to some students, but after going to the events that were supposed to have bigger budgets, many students have found themselves disappointed with the outcome.
The question, therefore, is what is KCAB doing with their money? Students are generally not happy with the few events they are getting, saying that they feel as though the events are lower quality, so the idea of spending more on fewer events does not seem to be working as anticipated. If that is the case, wouldn’t it make more sense for KCAB to go back to having more frequent events and spending the same as what they used to on those larger events?
Even if KCAB wanted to continue having bigger budgets for these larger events, they could still work in some lower-budget weekend activities. Themed movie nights, like the “Mean Girls” movie night from last year, are fan favorites that do not have to cost a ton. Even just having a big game night in the Krannet ballroom or out on the patio with board games checked out from the library could be a lot of fun. With the right music and a few snacks, there would be plenty of students who would want to come to this kind of event.
To a certain extent, as an event planning committee, it is KCAB’s job to incentivize students to stay on campus over the weekend. The reality is, without frequent activities going on during the weekend, many students decide to go home rather than stay on campus. For those of us who do not have a car or live too far away to go home for just two days, campus can start to feel kind of desolate and boring. While we do not need to have huge events going on all the time, it would be nice to have at least something every other weekend or so. On what might be an otherwise boring weekend, KCAB events play a vital role in bringing life to campus.
It would likely be helpful for KCAB to be more transparent with students. How much money are they budgeting for larger events? How exactly are they planning to use it? Is there any way they could take a little of that money and dedicate it to more frequent, smaller events? If students knew a bit more about what goes on in the office and how KCAB plans events throughout the semester, they will be better able to understand why events are happening the way they are.
Hopefully KCAB will hear students’ complaints and take them into consideration when creating the budget for next year. From the way students have been complaining about the lack of events during the semester and their general disappointment with larger events, it seems like it may be a good idea to make room for more frequent weekend events rather than focusing so much on the bigger ones. Then, Berry can go back to being just as lively a campus as admissions loves to brag it is.