If there’s something fun happening on campus at Southern Oregon University, chances are EPIC had a hand in it. From Glowfest to the Homecoming tailgate, the Event Planning and Involvement Committee is the team making sure SOU students have something to look forward to and a reason to show up.
EPIC is made up of a small team of student event planners who design and host weekly events that bring students together. The group’s mission is to build community and boost morale on campus, and they do that through creative, engaging, and free activities open to everyone. Each member plans one to two events per term, handling everything from food and decorations to themes and logistics, before the whole team comes together to make it happen.
“As a student director, I oversee the EPIC team and all the events we put on,” said Eliza Goodwin, the group’s student director. “We deal with event planning, budgeting, and student engagement. We offer free events to all students to break up the schoolwork and create community. We also collect feedback on what kind of events students want to attend to make sure we offer the most engaging experiences possible. I love this job because I have a passion for event planning and creating community among campus.”
This term, EPIC has already hosted Glowfest, a pumpkin patch transport, and a Homecoming tailgate. Coming up next are a Rocky Horror Picture Show Drag Race, a line dancing night, and a comic book fair.
Jay Sorensen, EPiC’s advisor and SOU’s new Belonging and Engagement Coordinator, said he’s been impressed by the creativity and dedication of the group.
“Working directly with students is my primary passion working in higher ed, and the opportunity to work with the folks at EPiC has been a fantastic introduction into what SOU is all about and what kind of students call this place home,” Sorensen said. “My primary role is that of advisor, as EPIC is student-focused and student-led. I do all the background work – forms, spreadsheets, university policies and guidelines – while the stellar student staff of EPIC do the more important stuff in creating and running events to make campus fun and welcoming for fellow SOU students.”
He added that each EPIC staff member brings something unique to the team, making the events both successful and authentic to SOU’s culture.
From brainstorming ideas to hanging up decorations, the students behind EPIC are at the heart of campus involvement. With students focusing on academics, having something to get them out of their dorm room is key.
Photo by Carmen Combs/The Siskiyou
