Student Events Board provides opportunities for student engagement throughout the year

SEB’s Fall Fest provides community building, fun on campus

We’ve reached the mid-semester mark on campus, which means the leaves are changing, the class projects are ramping up, and it’s time to start planning for the spring semester—exploring the course catalogue, meeting with academic advisors, and registering for classes.

Advising Day is intended for first-year students and others seeking guidance to meet with their advisor and discuss their options for the spring. Classes are cancelled for the day for everyone to make it easier to schedule advising and to provide a mid-semester break.

Student Events Board (SEB) takes advantage of Advising Day by turning it into a festival. Each year, Fall Fest takes over parts of the library terrace, Cater Walk, and Martha Washington Square, offering games, activities, and food for attendees.

“We’re halfway through the semester, people start their slump,” said Larissa Walter ’28, one of the event coordinators for SEB, a 20-person student board that works to improve the Washington College experience through unique, exciting, and engaging events throughout the year. “We hope [students] get a sense of community.”

Walter took the lead on planning this year’s Fall Fest, partnering with other campus organizations to provide attendees with crafts, trunk-or-treating, games, a photo booth, and more. There were performances by both of the College’s rock ensembles.

“Our goal is to get as much participation from as many people on campus and make campus feel like a fun space meant for everybody,” she said of SEB’s goals for programming.

Fall Fest is one of several staple events SEB coordinates each year. Earlier this semester, the group organized Shoremal, and next semester they will bring this year’s yet-to-be-revealed Birthday Ball theme to life.

SEB’s programming is more than just these iconic, annual events. The group hosts weekly, repeating events, including bingo and craft nights, in partnership with other campus organizations. SEB also hosts spirit events at athletic events to increase student attendance there.

All of SEB’s events are open to everyone on campus. Walters said they intentionally try to plan things that would be interesting to most students, and once they have some ideas together will poll their classmates through Instagram to gauge their interest and gather feedback.

Most of SEB’s events are planned for Fridays and Saturdays to engage students on the weekends and prevent competing with club activities, which usually happen during the week.

SEB’s off-campus events, trips to cities or for particular activities, like ice skating, are also planned so those events don’t conflict with DayTrippers outings, and to maximize the opportunities for students to go off campus.