ASAP Events on Tap
MONMOUTH, Ill. – During their first month back on campus, Monmouth College students will have a variety of entertainment choices, giving them the opportunity to laugh, think and, well, smash.
The events will be put on by the College’s Association for Student Activity Programming, overseen by Assistant Director of Campus Events Ryan Doyle.
First up on the agenda is an act that continues a tradition on campus, said Doyle.
“We like to start the fall and spring semesters with a comedian, so we’ll have Myq Kaplan doing a Zoom show on Jan. 29,” he said. “Myq’s been doing these virtual events, and they’ve been going very well. And unlike our past Zoom events, which have been produced by us, this will be a professional Zoom event, which is the first time we’ve done that.”
Another such event will follow on Feb. 12, when students can attempt to solve a “Virtual Hollywood Murder Mystery.”
“It’s put on by the improv group Mission Improvable, and it’s a completely virtual murder mystery,” said Doyle. “Within the event, there will be three mini-games where students can win prizes, leading up to the grand prize for the student who can identify the overall ‘whodunit.’”
In between, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 4 during the lunchtime rush at the Stockdale Center, students can enjoy a Diversity Candy Shop, an event that has gone over well before on Monmouth’s campus.
With the tag line “Where Celebrating Our Differences is Sweet,” students will be able to choose candy from identities that they are a part of or support.
“If you identify as or support that identity, you get a candy from that box, so the students who participate will get a box of different candies, showing their support of different groups,” said Doyle.
“To ensure the safety of everyone while still giving each student an opportunity for a normal-ish college experience, ASAP has found more ways to bring the campus community closer through online experiences.” – Katterine Rodas-Quintana ’22
During the week of Feb. 15-19, the College will identify its top Super Smash Brothers player during a three-night eSports tourney.
“It’s the same idea as the bags tournament that Phi Delta Theta live streamed in the fall,” said Doyle.
The actual video fighting games will be played in the Pattee Auditorium in the Center for Science and Business, and students can watch the action via Zoom. Residence halls will crown winners, leading up to the four-player finale on Feb. 19.
“I cannot wait to get this semester rolling with ASAP events,” said the organization’s president, Katterine Rodas-Quintana ’22 of Monmouth. “Last semester was certainly a learning opportunity for all of us. To ensure the safety of everyone while still giving each student an opportunity for a normal-ish college experience, ASAP has found more ways to bring the campus community closer through online experiences. ASAP also loves feedback from students, so we encourage all ideas to make our campus life more exciting.”
Doyle hopes that as the semester moves on, in-person events might become a reality.
“The first month’s schedule is our warm-up events for the spring semester, and they are all via Zoom, except for the candy shop in Stockdale, which will have a table separating our staff from the students,” he said. “We hope that beyond that, maybe we’ll be able to move to events that are hybrid or fully in-person. Then, hopefully, we’ll be able to go full force with larger in-person events later in the semester in April.”
Related Stories
-
ASAP Brings Joy
Association for Student Activities and Programming brought smiles this fall, even during a pandemic.Read More -
Commencement Coming Into Focus
Monmouth’s Doyle says ‘Commencement has started to look like Commencement’ as College prepares for May 15-16 activities celebrating Class of 2021.Read More
