It’s no secret: We attend UC Socially Dead. The problem
doesn’t lie in a lack of events where students can have fun and mingle. From Bear
Gardens to TGIO concerts, A.S.
Programming works hard to offer a variety of activities and concerts throughout
the year. The problem lies in the attendance records of these events. With A.S.
Council elections coming up, candidates should look at ways of improving event
publicity and marketing in order to increase attendance.
According to last year’s UCSD Student Life Annual Report,
2,852 students attended FallFest, less than half that went to WinterFest and
the TGIO concerts had a total of 1,303 attendees. When compared to the 16,500
students who attended the Sun God Festival, it’s clear that these other events
are missing the bar.
This year’s council has sought to improve Sun God even more,
by changing the layout and increasing the number of campus-sponsored
activities. These changes look to enhance the festival’s already charged
atmosphere; Sun God is the one day the campus really comes alive and students
are out in full force.
While A.S. Programming has taken an amazing first step this
year, it will be up to the incoming council to appoint a hardworking and
innovative programming staff. If the council wants to support its events with
bigger crowds, the events need to have almost the same status as Sun God.
Luckily, the incoming council will inherit what looks like a well-coordinated
plan for future events. This year’s Sun God will lay the foundations for future
growth. And by transforming the quarterly concerts into all-campus dances, A.S.
Programming is working to bring FallFest and WinterFest up to par with Spring
Quarter’s mayhem.
The incoming council is sitting pretty; all it needs to do
is continue along this year’s path of innovation, and expand publicity for
these events.
Currently, events are advertised via Web sites, flyers and
Facebook. This does a mediocre job of publicity and keeping students informed
about the activities going on at UCSD, but there needs to be something more
than simply telling the who, what, when and where of an event. The council
should focus its efforts on reaching out to students to keep them excited and
aware of opportunities — something that is also pivotal for success at this
year’s revamped Sun God.
What’s most important is to build a stronger and more united
UCSD community. The thing that makes Sun God so unique is that it brings
together every student on campus. A.S Programming should only rest when it can
get the same turnout and feeling of unity throughout the entire year.