Student Program boards classic yearly Winter Wonderland event is one of their biggest for the academic year. | Courtesy of SPB

College can be a rigorous, stressful experience. Student Program Board (SPB) strives to provide students a chance to take a break from school and relax with a variety of events on and off campus throughout the semester.

SPB plans and puts on activities for the entire UH population, including students, faculty and staff. From movie screenings to comedy performances, from speaker series to concerts, SPB has free, on-campus events that cater to a multitude of interests.

“I think we want to enhance the student life here. We bring that at-home feeling to the students,” SPB President Sarah Durham said. “We want to have them stop and take a look at how beautiful this campus is, and we want them to have fun here and to provide a quality experience.”

The organization also hopes to expand its reach beyond the campus. SPB has several prospective off-campus trips planned for the upcoming semester.

“I’m most excited for the trips because I feel like there’s going to be a lot more focus on that this year,” said SPB Vice President of Marketing and Assessment, Dara Hall. “Things like that, focusing more on getting students off campus and getting more involved in what Houston has to offer, which I think is pretty cool.”

The majority of SPB events will still take place on campus, including popular events from previous years such as Winter Wonderland and Glow Party, Durham said.

Glow Party is one of SPB’s first events of the upcoming academic year. Partnering with Frontier Fiesta, Homecoming, Council for Cultural Activities (CCA) and Metropolitan Volunteer Program (MVP) to aid in planning and execution, Glow Party is one of several welcome back events SPB will be holding at the beginning of the semester.

Featuring various glow items and a DJ, Glow Party is like a big rave, Durham said.

SPB events such as Glow Party are more than just a form of entertainment or a way to de-stress students. These activities are also a way to build community.

“I know that a lot of people come to college and feel like they have to join something to be a part of campus, but that’s not the case,” Hall said. “We bring the events to campus so students are involved and they feel like they have a share in what the University has to offer.”

The organization brings students together and provides them with an opportunity to meet new people, said SPB Vice President of Membership, Ryan Pulido.

“(It’s about) enhancing their experience and also bringing them together,” Pulido said. “If they’re new, if they’re a freshman and looking to make friends, (they are) able to come to our events and feel included and maybe come away with a friend to have on campus.”

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“Profile: Student Program Board gears up for fall semester” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar