Kahoot! Trivia Winners Circle. The top player of the night wins some sweet SVC swag!
By Jennifer Juniper
Part one of a series on Student Life features your Program Board members and the
cool events they plan to entertain you with via Zoom this spring. The Program Board is a group of three students and one advisor that are tasked with planning and executing some of SVC’s fun virtual events like Kahoot! Trivia. For those of you that have not yet attended, Kahoot! trivia night is a fun, engaging, and educational way to connect with other students, teachers, and faculty virtually. Programmer Tessa Peeler illustrates, “We host 3 Kahoot! trivia categories every other Thursday night, from “Harry Potter” and birds to equity and inclusion topics like LGBTQ+
awareness trivia in collaboration with the Rainbow Alliance.”
Trivia night events are typically planned to start between 7 pm and 8 pm every other Thursday to work around most students’ busy schedules. Announcements with Zoom links are sent out via email and are posted on the Center for Student Leadership Canvas shell. It’s easy to play. Simply download the Kahoot! app to your phone and follow along on another device as your hosts guide you through trivia questions. There are 30 questions per category with three different categories for a total of 90 questions but you have to think fast or get left in the dust. No time Google answers! The top winner averaged over the three categories wins a prize of some sweet, sweet SVC swag! Coming up with new trivia topics to entertain and educate is a task that Tessa takes to heart, “I want our topics to be fun both fun and culturally relevant. Our mainstream culture tends to disproportionately represent white people and conventional gender roles and relationships. It’s challenging to try and work in topics that push the status quo a bit, but also that students can still connect with and relate to.”
Planning events are typical responsibilities of the programmers but it can also be a gateway to government as programmer Hannah Winstead shared, “Although I was not originally part of the Whidbey Island Student Government, I was asked to attend their meetings and found myself on boards and other committees as well.” The Program Board’s recent meeting to plan the events calendar for the remainder of the school year was more casual than most student government meetings. No “Roberts Rules of Order” or formalities necessary. Just one solid hour of planning the events calendar for the rest of the school year. Although it’s a paid position making minimum wage ($13.69/hour) working between 10-15 hours a week, the schedule is flexible. But, some rewards of being a programmer like making new friends are priceless. Hannah explains what she likes most about working as a programmer is “meeting new people and being able to come up with events that students will enjoy. It has really connected me to the SVC community.”
Programmer Destiney Allen-Suarez agrees. She got involved after making some friends in Student Life and helping out with events, “I liked volunteering so much that I wanted to be apart of the program as a member. So when I saw the announcement they were hiring, I went for it!” Their advisor, the guy responsible for guiding the programmers, is Student Life Specialist and Engagement Navigator Rick Flores. Rick loves his job, “my favorite thing is the wide variety of activities I get to do and a diverse group of students I get to work with. I love helping to foster leadership skills, develop equitable practices, and enrich the college community with culturally responsive programs.”
Rick encourages students to attend all the virtual events Student Life and Program Board offer. “It feels different than being on zoom for class and is a great way to make connections while we are all stuck at home.” Another pro-tip from Rick, “I recommend everyone apply and run for student government and apply for program board to get involved in different ways.” Keep an eye out for information about SVC’s new student senate coming soon!
If you want to get involved beyond showing up to events, Rick’s advice is to head on over to the Center for Student Leadership, Equity, and Community Canvas shell and check out the modules tab to find a list of clubs and contact info. You can also reach out to him at [email protected] to find involvement opportunities. Other upcoming Program Board sponsored events to look out for are snowflake making, like when you were in grade school, and a virtual escape room! Watch your email for announcements and come play along with your classmates because as Tessa shared, “It’s the participants and the energy that they bring that make our events spectacular!”
