Student Programming Board honored at regional conference

SPB earns Excellence in Programming award for third year in a row, and Allison DiMaggio ’09 is named a Student Leader of the Year.

Bryant’s Student Programming Board (SPB) continues to prove it is one of the best in the region at creating an engaging campus atmosphere.

For the third year in a row, the SPB won the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Excellence in Programming Award in the 2,001 to 5,000 student enrollment category at the northeast regional conference held last month in Hartford, CT. (To learn more, visit NACA)

“This award reflects the dedication and hard work of every member of the Student Programming Board,” says SPB President Kim Franklin ’09 (West Hyannisport, MA). “SPB is a group of devoted individuals who sincerely care about the Bryant community.”

Bryant's Student Programming Board and Center for Student Involvement staff celebrate receiving the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Excellence in Programming award. It is the third consecutive year Bryant has won the honor.

Franklin gave a presentation at the conference on some of the most memorable events the Bryant organization planned including a Halloween event, a Thanksgiving dinner, a game show, and Spring Weekend 2008, which featured the band Everclear and rapper Yung Joc. The work of the SPB is important in creating a vibrant campus community, says Franklin. (To learn more, visit SPB)

“The events that SPB produces create engaging and entertaining activities for students and gives them a chance to take a break from classes, internships, and projects,” she says.

The students who plan programs have the added advantage of gaining experience in areas such as negotiating with agents, budgeting, and event planning. “The organization is very hands-on, and it gives members a chance to be actively involved,” says Franklin.

Student Programming Board President Kim Franklin ’09 (West Hyannisport, MA)

“Opportunities that are provided through student organizations like SPB are valuable learning experiences as the students enter the working world,” says Meredith Morris SPB advisor and a program advisor in the Center for Student Involvement. “They gain real-world understanding of planning events and working in a team atmosphere, which is important in any career.”

Student Leader of the Year

Also at the conference, Allison DiMaggio ’09 (Plymouth, MA) was named one of the four Student Leaders of the Year. DiMaggio is the NACA northeast regional representative and a co-chair of SPB’s Theme Weekends committee. It is the third year in a row that a Bryant student was recognized as a Student Leader of the Year, following Dave Georgantas ’08 last year and Paul Bi ’07 in 2006.

“For someone to even nominate me is an honor and compliment,” says DiMaggio. “The fact that people with whom I work closely considered me for this award means more to me than receiving the award itself.”

As the NACA northeast regional representative, DiMaggio helped raise money for the NACA Foundation, which awards scholarships every year, and was part of a leadership team that coordinated the conference.

(L-R) Allison DiMaggio ’09 (Plymouth, MA) shows off her Student Leader of the Year award with her fellow SPB Theme Weekend committee co-chair Shannon Wheeler '09 (Southington, CT).

In addition to making new friends and getting involved on campus, DiMaggio’s work with the SPB, which she joined as a first-year student, has been a great learning experience and good practice for her career goal of being an event planner.

“There are many steps involved in event planning – from brainstorming, booking locations, and advertising to getting volunteers, holding the program, and evaluating it,” says DiMaggio. “By going through the process so many times, the steps have become routine, and I am able to spend more time on the creative side of the event.”

She also learned the importance of teamwork and developed her time management and leadership skills, which will be put to good use after graduation.

“I have had a feeling of excitement about every program I have been involved in,” says DiMaggio. “I hope this feeling remains with me throughout my career.”