Spring Fling: Flop or Not

This year's Spring Fling was announced about a month before. Was it too soon? I think so. In the week leading up to Spring Fling, the SJC sold about 200 tickets. Broken down by grade, 30% of seniors went, 20% of juniors, 5% of sophomores and 10% of freshman went to the dance. In comparison to the student body, that is 16% of students buying tickets for the dance.

Most students did not seem to know the SGA provided Chick-fil-a, free ice cream, ping pong in an attempt to create agreat time in the Frana Auditorium. According to students who wished to remain anonymous, they would've chosen to gSpring Fling if they were aware of these amenities at the dance. The SGA’s lack of advertising for the dance, specifically the parts that made it unique, may have cost them the attendance they needed to make the dance super fun.

I went to the dance. I got there at around 9 p.m., about an hour after the dance started. The parking lot, cafeteria and auditorium were all basically empty when I arrived. I ran into around 15 people leaving, so maybe I missed the crowd. However, I usually arrive at most dances around 9 and there is normally more people there. There were staff members, SGA members and students all around, however, the space was not very busy.

If this dance were to happen again, the timing needs to change. I think that its proximity to both regimental ball and Spring Break did not give adequate time to plan, causing more unwillingness to go. I also think that the announcement of the dance needed to happen more than a month in advance. “I was in the middle of my third quarter, slammed with work before spring break and not able to plan for the dance made me not even want to go," one student said. This quote spoke for many other students based on the responses we collected.

Overall, I think SGA should plan another Spring Fling, advertising it as a springtime dance to be enjoyed by anyone, especially students who are not going to Prom. I think that any extra amenities need to be known, incentivizing students to go. Promoting the dance as a fun opportunity to be with friends, hang out and have a good time could also help. This year's Spring Fling seemed rushed and not well advertised. Next year, having this laid out earlier, and communicated better to the student body, will result in a more fun and enjoyable Spring Fling for all.