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Planning a fun weekend event at Pepperdine has greater rewards than social satisfaction. The weekend event that is funded by the Weekend Events Board (WEB) and receives the highest marks based on a rubric will be awarded $1,000.
In 2003, President Andrew K. Benton and other administrators noticed a lack of on-campus options for weekend activities. They developed the WEB to put together the Weekend Events Contest. A student organization or campus group (e.g., residence hall, club, fraternity) may apply to receive up to $500 to host a single, on-campus event on a Friday or Saturday night.
Throughout the semester, participating groups compete to receive a grand prize of $1,000. Although the $500 must be used for a specified on-campus event, the winning group can use the $1,000 prize on anything, including future events or charitable donations.
Black Student Union president, senior Dinah Galley, said her club has been in the weekend events contest since it began.
“We won the first weekend events contest in Fall 2003,” she said. “We saved the $1,000 to use within our club for other events, but we used it wisely.”
BSU entered its “30 Seconds of Fame” night the next year and won second prize.
“It was a spin-off of the TV show where audience members get on stage and sing or dance, and everyone either cheers or boos,” Galley said. “One time, this guy was so bad that another girl decided to jump on stage and start dancing. Everyone in the audience was booing. Some people even threw balls of paper on stage. Everyone was laughing. It was one of the funniest nights of the year.”
Other popular nights have included Entertainment Business Network’s “Pepperdine Idol” (a past winner), Pepperdine Improv Troupe shows and Campus Ministries’ “Classy Night.”
Some nights aren’t as successful, though. Junior Kenny Felkel, one of WEB’s founders, said he’s attended some of the less popular events.
“SPB had a night called ‘Tangled in the Web,’ where we had a DJ come to the HAWC. We spent almost $400 dollars and I think three people came. I was one of them,” he said. “I couldn’t stop laughing the whole night. It was utterly ridiculous.”
Regardless of turnout, Felkel said $500 has to be used each Friday and Saturday night.
“Don’t worry, the money comes from private grants, not from your tuition” Felkel said.
The weekend events contest is not limited to clubs and organizations. Individual students can bring together a group and host an event for the contest.
Submitted 09-22-2005
MALIBU, CA
