The University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Yellowjacket Activities Club (YAC) is in full swing for the Spring semester. YAC is a student-run department that plans events that all students can participate in. Ponika Bhandari and Edomiyas Asmerom, the general managers of YAC, said they aim for one event every week and two large events every month.
February’s Paint a Mug event was a success with many people attending to make their own specially themselves mugs. | Photo provided by YAC
“Our major goal is to have student involvement on campus,” said Bhandari. “Since they (students) pay their segregated fees, we’d like them to have opportunities on campus.”
Most recently, YAC hosted a mug painting event where students could paint pottery and “Build-A-Buddy” for Valentine’s Day, where students got to pick out a stuffed animal “buddy,” stuff them with filling, and dress their new buddy in a UWS shirt. Asmerom said 300 students attended the “Build-A-Buddy” event: a great turnout. At a “regular” weekly event, such as bingo night, the department plans for 60 to 80 participants. Asmerom said that lately, they’ve seen 80 to 85.
YAC takes student suggestions and interests into consideration for events. Several methods, including student surveys, previous event performance, and brainstorming within the department help decide what events to put on. The events that have a good turnout are likely to be repeated. “We try to make our campus experience as fun as possible,” Asmerom said about the events. The department plans a variety of fun things to do, such as bingo nights, arts and crafts activities, and movie nights.
Upcoming events this semester include a trip to a basketball game and a Casino Night. The easiest ways to stay current with YAC events are on the UWS campus calendar or YAC’s Facebook page.
YAC’s Bingo Nights are notorious for drawing in their large crowds. Their latest bingo night put students against each other for free UWS merch. | Photo provided by YAC