On any given week, students might stumble across flyers for one of the many events held across campus, from large-scale programs like Up All Night to casual pop-ups such as the Pete’s Brew Coffee Tour. These aren’t spontaneous gatherings; they’re the results of weeks and months of planning by the Minero Entertainment Board.
The Minero Entertainment Board (MEB) is a primarily student-led organization dedicated to creating memorable experiences that bring the campus community together.
With a mix of large-scale and small-scale programming, MEB’s mission is to offer students moments of fun and connection amid the stresses of college life.
The board consists of four student leaders, Danna Castro, Katy Ruiz, Rolando Palomo III, and Valentina Vega, as well as staff from the Student Engagement and Leadership Center (SELC). This also includes Assistant Director Romi Dehler and Campus Engagement Coordinator Nick Ciaccio, who serves as the board’s primary advisor.
“I think the main goal is to create events and programs that are community centered, that really allow for students from all different backgrounds all across campus to come together in a more social setting,” Dehler said.
This year MEB is doing a series of social events, like Pete’s Brew Coffee Tour and their upcoming game night on Sept. 30. They also host many educational and cultural events with their Cultural Programs Student Katy Ruiz leading many of those efforts. She’s behind several campus initiatives, including exhibits at the Union Gallery.
Each MEB event starts with an idea, often brought forward by one of the student members, they follow trends and holidays in the process of coming up with ideas.
From there, the team collaborates on how to bring that vision to life. Every event is student oriented, and each is led by one of the student board members. That student takes charge of planning logistics, creating mood boards, organizing giveaways and ensuring the event stays on track.
“There is some sort of student ownership over the event in and of itself,” Dehler said. “The whole point is that the students are planning events for students, and that they’re planning events for their peers.”
According to Ciaccio, the team uses the summer to map out the academic year’s calendar of events before the semester begins. Even their more spontaneous pop-up events are planned months in advance.
“It takes all of us, you know, as a team, from our students to our leadership, all the way up in the department, our departmental leadership,” Ciaccio said.
Each event requires detailed coordination from set-up to staffing. While numbers vary, even some of their smaller events gather around 100 attendees. Large scale events like Up All Night draw students in larger numbers according to Dehler and Ciaccio, ranging anywhere from 500 to 600 students.
MEB and all their events receive funding directly through SELC and their budget comes from student fees. According to SELC, the actual cost of programming often depends on what is being planned. For instance, the average costs for smaller pop-ups can be up to $500 but they’re spending around $20,000 on larger events.
“We do our best to maximize every dollar, because we want this to be as enjoyable for students as possible,” Dehler Said.
As a largely commuter campus student engagement can present unique challenges. With students often balancing work, family and classes, getting them to spend time on campus outside of academics isn’t always easy. These events are meant to bring students together. That’s why the MEB team focuses on creating accessible and inclusive events that appeal to the interests of as many students as possible and for them to build friendships and learn social skills.
“If you ever see a Mineros Entertainment Board event, or even a SELC event at large, don’t be shy, feel free to come by,” Dehler said. “These events that we’re putting on are for everyone.”
For the students and staff behind the Mineros Entertainment Board, each event is more than a checklist, it’s a chance to turn the campus into a space where every student can come to enjoy themselves and de-stress.
Jewel Ocampo is a Staff Reporter and may be reached at [email protected].
