Who?
My name is Riley Howell, and I am a student executive on the Campus Activities Board (CAB). CAB is one of the many branches of Campus Experience that houses Student Government Association, Rinnova, Class Council, Ops, Info Group, Marketing, Creative Solutions Group (the techies), and Finance. All of these work together to serve students and faculty. CAB is the group that plans ALT nights and Campus Christmas. We also help out during Getting Started Weekend, the Kickoff Party, and the Involvement Fair. This is a paid group of creative students who are passionate about planning and implementing events. If you find that you have administrative, artistic, or activity-driven gifts, maybe you should consider applying to join the team next winter for the following fall.
What?
ALT Nights here at Cedarville happen three times a semester. The goal of the event is to create an ALTernative option for fun here on campus rather than going off campus. ALTs can include various forms of entertainment ranging from karaoke to movies to live performances. But we often include options for you sporty individuals as well. Sometimes the ALTs have a specific theme. For example, the most recent event was marketed as Family Game Night because we had a dodgeball tournament, yard games, and board games. Some events are more complex than others depending on the time of year and how the student body is feeling.
Why?
We seek to “Create opportunities for others to create moments” as the Director of Campus Experience, Brian Burns, often reminds us. Our guest-oriented focus is what drives the planning and execution of the ALT nights. Last year, we started combining the Athletic Department’s Moonlight Madness event with an ALT night to minimize the amount of student events and be good stewards of the space and budget we have. This is just one example of the stewardship mindset we seek to have as a CAB team so that we can serve our fellow students. Much of our servant mindset comes from the passage Romans 12 where Paul urges believers to encourage one another through self-sacrifice and humility. One of the ways we get to do this is by making the ALT nights special for more people than just ourselves. I think it’s easy to get caught up in what would be fun for me and my friends and forget that there are people who enjoy things I might not enjoy (i.e., anything sports related ha ha).
What Students Do for Us
Every time you check into an ALT night by scanning your student ID, we can see the data on who comes from each residence hall, major, and class year. Greater participation in ALT nights means that we can better evaluate and serve a larger percentage of the student body with the kinds of events we produce. After every ALT night, the CAB team compiles a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for our personal use when planning future events. We love to hear feedback from our guests and friends because other perspectives help inform our analysis. For example, when planning line management for activities, we might look back at a previous year when we had the same activity and improve upon our weaknesses. Honest feedback is something we desire from students and seek to foster an environment for. Being in this role I’ve not only learned how to accept a “no” to a good idea but also how to build upon those “no’s” and look for future opportunities.
Memories
One of my favorite parts about this team is that many of us do not run in the same circles. We have many majors, classes, and dorms represented by the CAB members and that really helps broaden our perspective. I’ve been able to form some sweet friendships and memories with my team when running karaoke or taking out trash. This is a team that reminds me of how my work is first of all unto the Lord and to serve His people. It might sound like I’m over-romanticizing my job, but it really is special to work alongside believers who are praying for one another and building each other up with their words and actions. That’s exactly what we hope our events do for the student body.
Learning and Leadership Experience
One of the cool things Brian Burns does with the Campus Experience team is give us resources and training to develop as leaders. This is all for the purpose of serving Christ better in our churches and neighborhoods. I’ve read several books related to guest service, fostering memories, collaboration, and leadership. Even the books by non-Christian authors have biblical principles weaved throughout. Who would’ve thought that the book written about the greatest servant there has ever been would be beneficial in leadership? That was most definitely sarcasm because the Bible should be the first place we go when seeking wisdom and discernment in our work. This constant reminder throughout my 3 years on Campus Experience and 2 years on CAB has been so formative in my work ethic and walk with Christ. There are phrases from my training that I’ll remember for the rest of my life – “attitude, clarity, discipline,” “inspect what you expect,” “you get out of things what you put into them,” “see the good in others,” “Bravo Zulu,” and many others. Probably the best piece of advice I’ve received is that leadership isn’t a position, it’s how you serve people faithfully regardless of your recognition. I will be forever grateful for the investment the full-time team and my peers have made in my life while in this role.
Major & Year: Theatre Performance, class of 2023
Favorite Bible Verse: Psalm 40:3
A Piece of Advice: “You won’t iron your clothes as much as you think you will. On a more serious note, Be okay with being alone. Find out what energizes you in your alone time and do that. Don’t waste the precious recharge time.”
Tags: #ALTNights, #campus, #fun
Posted in: ALT Nights, Campus Experience