Community on Campus: Student Activites Update

By: Natascha Lambing   

NEWBERG Ore. -  Over a year into the global pandemic that drastically shifted the experience of university students across the globe, George Fox University’s (GFU) Student Activities team has created opportunities to engage on campus, despite COVID restrictions. 

Melia Bents, who has worked with Student Activities for the past two years said that one of the goals of this year was to consider, “How can we do it differently and still make it memorable for the student body?” This meant the team needed to be “creative with the rules and restrictions we have to abide by.” For some events like the ’80s Dance and the Loudest Dance You’ve Never Heard, this meant moving outside where students could remain socially distanced. However, other events like the Sadie Hawkins Dance and the typical Spring Formal in Portland were cancelled, replaced by last week’s Spring Formal at the amphitheatre. 

Newer events such as the Easter Egg Hunt and Food Truck Festival were a large part of efforts to create involvement on campus. Alice Marchuck, who has also worked for Student Activities for the last couple of years, said the Student Activities team is “dedicated to the students and having fun … we kind of go big or go home.” Marchuck also noted that Student Activities events were “a big factor of my experience at Fox and I definitely feel that I want people to experience the community on campus.” 

With regard to the Food Truck Festival, Marchuck said it is “definitely something we want to continue doing,” seeing as it produced such a large turnout, so much so that food ran out after an hour or so. As the weather shifts toward warm spring days, events like the food trucks and Spring Market make perfect opportunities for students to gather while remaining socially distanced. The Spring Market--which boasted various student vendors, performances by Camp Bulldog and Willow House, and a raffle--attracted a variety of students, creating an atmosphere that one might consider a return to “normal” on GFU’s campus. 

Marchuck said that next year, given relaxation of COVID restrictions, the lofty goal of 300 people per event has been set, whether that be at long held traditions or fresh events. Both Bents and Marchuk said Student Activities always welcomes recommendations for events and greatly values student feedback. “We want people to know they can reach out to us always,” Bents said. If you have ideas you would like to share, you can contact Student Activities on their Instagram, Twitter, or by email (activities@georgefox.edu).