In light of The Division of Student Affairs’ discontinuation of Fall Fest, many believed that Stevens’ usual autumn celebrations would be missing from campus this year. However, thanks to the Entertainment Committee (EC), a Masquerade Mask Decorating event and the second annual Fall Fling are still set to take place this October. The Stute got a chance to speak with Sara Wolf, the EC Director of Festivities, to learn more about the inspiration to continue hosting the Fall Fling and what we can expect from both this event and the Masquerade Mask Decorating event.
Wolf describes her position as being very dynamic and collaborative throughout the academic year. During the fall semester, she plans all of our campus traditions, including Flock Party, Fall Fling, and Winter Wonderland with assistance from Chris Alessandri, the EC Special Event Coordinator. For the spring semester, Wolf serves as the student liaison for Student Life’s Founder’s Day Ball and helps plan Techfest with its director, Mollie Good.
When asked if her or other EC members have any insight into the reason why Fall Fest was discontinued by Student Affairs, Wolf declined to comment. However, she did go into detail as to why the EC moved ahead with planning the Fall Fling in spite of this cancellation. Wolf admits, “Before last year’s inaugural Fall Fling, we hosted our own version of Fall Fest on some of the campus lawns, though it was more of a pumpkin patch and less of a ‘homecoming’ event.” She then recounts how before Fall Fest was called off, Student Affairs asked the EC to come up with a new event for students to support a “new version” of Fall Fest that would take place the following academic year. This is when the EC decided on a dance that would become the Fall Fling. Despite Fall Fest’s eventual cancellation, the EC decided to continue planning the Fall Fling because it was “very well received.” Wolf adds, “On a personal note, fall is my favorite time of year, so any opportunity I can get to dress up and celebrate the season I will take!” Even though Wolf wanted to mirror the success of last year’s Fall Fling, she still wanted to add a fun twist to this year’s theme. She explains, “Since we are moving the event to later in the fall, I wanted to make it a little spookier and add a masquerade twist to the regular event.”
As for what goes into planning the Fall Fling, Wolf explains that her and other EC members use a methodical approach. While she and Alessandri are in direct contact with many of the vendors that provide the basic setup for the event, they also “divide the rest of the EC members into five different subcommittees: Logistics, Activities/Food/Giveaways (AFG), Marketing, Decor, and Music. Each of these subcommittees has a leader that reports to Wolf and Alessandri.
Since the Fall Fling now has a masquerade theme incorporated into the event, the EC put together a separate Masquerade Mask Decorating Event in partnership with the Art Installations Club. It will take place Thursday, October 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the UCC Gallery.
The Fall Fling itself will be on Wednesday, October 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., split between Walker Gym (for dancing) and Schaefer Lawn (for activities and food). Wolf remarks, “It’s the perfect chance to destress and have a fun night with friends right after midterms!”
She explains that the main attraction of the Fall Fling will be music. “We will have a live band playing from 7-8:30, with a student DJ taking over for the remainder of the event.” Wolf details how for now they know there will also be giveaways, raffle baskets, and fall treats. Things that are still in the works include more activities and “A Taste of Hoboken,” free samples from local Hoboken coffee shops.
When dealing with Stevens’ rigorous curriculum, the EC hopes this event will give students an opportunity to decompress. Wolf emphasized that the main goal of the Fall Fling is to “bring the student body together for a night of nothing but fun!”
