An ariel view of Georgia Avenue. Photo courtesy of Chauncey Cannon.
By Dixon Cline
Contributing Writer
Several student organizations united to throw a block party on Georgia Avenue on October 12. The Bairnwick Women’s Center (The Wick) planned the event in order to work towards their mission of expanding their network to give other student organizations a voice.
Food ranging from cotton candy to burgers fresh off the grill were offered to all attendees free of charge. A bouncy house, sponsored by the Wick, and a dunking booth, sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA), allowed students to vent their near mid-term frustrations in a fun and effective way.
The block party was the brainchild of Adriana Jones-Quaidoo (C’20), co-director of the Wick. From its inception, the Wick worked with various student organizations across numerous planning meetings.
In total, 12 student organizations participated including the Wick, the Socially Conscious Investment Club (SOCO), the Community Engagement House (The CoHo), the Russian House, the Queer & Ally House (Q&A), the NAACP, the Student Government Association, the Tigers Entertainment Board, Phi Sigma Theta Sorority (PST), the African and Caribbian Student Association (ACASA), the Black Student Union (BSU), and BlacQueen. Each organization added an activity to the festivities through an original activity at each station.
“The reason for the block party,” said Quinn Needham (C’20), co-director of the Wick, “was to create spaces on campus that aren’t academic, but also aren’t drinking [and] party culture-related.” They wanted to have an event that showcased different student organizations so that the community could see their various influences.
While an exact headcount was not taken, it appeared that the event attracted a large audience without it seeming overcrowded. Needham informed The Purple that the Wick intends to host small events at least once a week and larger events such as the block party “[once] or twice a semester.”
Students and community members that are interested in partaking in such sober social events should check their emails, Sewanee related websites, social media, as well as joining any of the numerous student organizations that can be found on the Sewanee Engage.