Free Food. Free Entertainment. Prizes.
What more could a college student want?
Celebrate Drake, a variety of activities and entertainment compiled together into one event, will take place this Saturday from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. in Olmsted Center.
“It is a collaborative event that aims to bring together the entire Drake community,” said Tasha Stiger, director of campus programming. “It’s important to have something like Celebrate Drake to let people know there is a wide array of things to do on the weekend. You don’t have to go out.”
Several organizations work together to put on the event, including the South-Asian Student Association, Ballroom Dancing Club, Student Activities Board and the Pan-Hellenic Council.
“It was a hit last year,” Stiger said. “We’re looking to have this become an annual event.”
Ballroom dancing, hip-hop dance, henna tattoos and a DJ are just a few of the featured events.
Stiger said “The Price is Right” and “Mission Improvable” are two acts students will especially enjoy.
“The past two times we’ve done ‘The Price Is Right,’ it’s been hilarious,” Stiger said. “It’s a fan favorite.”
In the past, prices from the C-Store were used for the game; however, this year prices from local convenience stores such as Kum & Go may be used.
“Mission Improvable” is an improv group from Chicago that will perform at the event. Stiger has seen the group before and said they were entertaining.
“‘Mission Improvable’ is a hilarious act,” she said. “They’re always a crowd-pleaser.”
There will be a special performance by the Isiserettes that starts outside Olmsted at 9:45 p.m. Students can come and go at any time, but the doors will lock at midnight.
“All Drake students are welcome,” Stiger said. “We’re even allowing students one guest for the evening.”
Even Spike will make a guest appearance.
Stiger said that the variety of activities offer a little something for everyone. There will be free food, possibly free T-shirts and lots of prizes, such as an iPad2 and merchandise from the bookstore. The prizes will be announced at the end of the event.
Celebrate Drake will also mark the beginning of the “To Write Love On Her Arms” series, and it will also have an interactive “Live Your Story” tree.
“The idea around the ‘Live Your Story’ tree is that each person can write their hopes, dreams, fears or create a post secret on a leaf that will then be displayed throughout the evening,” Stiger said.
The tree will be available for students to add to throughout the night.
While “Live Your Story” begins at Celebrate Drake, the 3-Mile Project, a Residence Hall Association service project, will be ending.
“Over the last few weeks, the 3-Mile Project has encouraged organizations to collect cans for the world food prize,” Stiger said. “When RHA talked to our office, (the Office of) Student Involvement and Leadership, they referenced having the end date be on Celebrate Drake. Then RHA approached SAB about collaborating, and the event ‘Canstruction’ was formed.”
“Canstruction” will last during the entire event, and students can create structures out of the cans their organizations collected. Wanda Everage, vice provost for student affairs and academic excellence, and student votes will determine the top two can-masterpieces, and those organizations will win prizes.
The night offers entertainment for students of all interests and is a safer alternative to other activities.
“We hope students will see that they can have fun on a Saturday night without being intoxicated,” Stiger said.
