There has been a puzzling shift in student engagement with campus events (across all clubs and orgs, not just limited to SAC) during my time here at Conn. During my first year at Conn, nearly all campus events were remote to limit the spread of COVID, so events were mostly limited to make-and-takes and outdoor, socially distanced gatherings. In my sophomore year, SAC was able to reintroduce some larger events (paired with COVID precautions), such as Fall Ball, the Halloween Dance, and Festivus. These events, even in their modified forms, were well-attended and popular on campus: students that attended Conn pre-COVID outbreak were particularly excited to get a taste of the campus life they had missed out on for the last two years. In my junior year, some of this excitement continued, but my peers and I noticed that engagement with events across campus was beginning to level off. As the year progressed, this trend continued, and in my senior year, it has become clear that a dynamic on campus has shifted: on-campus events of nearly all kinds have seen notably less attendance and engagement. Student engagement with clubs, organizations, and extracurriculars also appears to have dropped notably.
None of us know exactly why this disengagement is occurring, but we do know that it reflects a larger trend among higher ed institutions. Conn is not alone in this experience. SAC’s purpose is to provide events that cater to a wide variety of students and student interests, and we intend to stand behind that mission strongly, as we continually adapt to meet the evolving wants and needs of the campus community. SAC’s largest events may be dances, but the majority of our events are smaller: low-key events like our DIY stuffed animal making, paint nights, and succulent planting are regular fixtures in our programming schedule. Mid-sized events, such as the Super Bowl Watch Party or the Veiled Vocalist, give us the opportunity to experiment with a combination of high energy and relaxed, passive engagement.
We want to emphasize that SAC is an open organization — everyone is welcome (and encouraged!) to join us at our meetings, and contribute to discussions around campus programming. Please just make sure to keep this in mind: we consider the interests and values of the entire campus community when planning events. Large dances aren’t for everyone, and neither are low-key craft nights; it’s critical that we maintain a healthy balance within our programming to ensure that all students feel welcomed to (and excited about) our variety of events. We, alongside many other clubs and organizations, are learning to embrace this moment of uncertainty and change, and work to adapt our events to effectively entertain and support students. SAC’s doors are always open — if you have ideas, questions, or concerns, please join us at our meetings, we would love to hear from you! SAC meets every Monday at 4:15 in the Alice Johnson room.
– Taylor Austin ‘24, Chair of SAC
