Have you ever wondered what it takes to put on a major event on a college campus? Members of RIT’s College Activities Board (CAB) gave us the inside scoop into the ups and downs of working for the organization and putting on an event as big as their annual, two-week long FreezeFest.
What is it like to work for CAB?
Alyssa Ly, a fourth year Graphic Design student, currently serves as CAB’s art coordinator. After starting out as a designer, she got thrown into the new position suddenly in spring 2024, just as CAB was preparing for the return of their concerts with this one being headlined by rapper Offset.
“It was just a lot of responsibilities to take on and [to] learn a lot of new things [about] what the role is expected to do or expected to help out with,” Ly recalls, “But it was such a good opportunity to grow and learn how to lead and manage things.”
Meanwhile Kyra Stockwell, a second year Interpreting major, faces different challenges as a major events manager. Stockwell cites budgeting and logistics as some of the biggest challenges they face working for CAB. When recalling the disappointment expressed by students who don’t get the chance to receive themed merch, they stated, “I always feel very bad when we run out of merch at our events, because people will be so excited and I know how long they wait in line and I feel awful about it, but we only have so much control.”
Members of CAB aim to provide the best experience for students when putting on events, as seen through the intricate branding behind each season. The branding and merchandise designs, as pointed out by Ly, are fresh every year. A branding challenge is held within CAB to vote on who will take the lead, but each designer is assigned their own piece of merchandise to work on. Ly and Kas Gaviola, a second year Studio Arts major with a concentration in painting and one of CAB’s designers, won this year’s challenge.
“…it never actually feels like work when I have to do work for CAB.” – Kas Gaviola
When reflecting on working as an artist for CAB while also pursuing art as a major, Gaviola stated, “I will always think that it will be rougher than it is, I will get into the office and everyone is so friendly and it is such a good atmosphere that it never actually feels like work when I have to do work for CAB.”
What are the best parts about this work?
Each member spoke proudly of the process of bringing ideas to reality. Gaviola mentioned seeing the happiness these events bring to students and the feeling of watching their artwork catch people’s eyes.
“I have been here for so long and it’s been a very rewarding experience, I’ve gotten to do a lot of fun portfolio pieces,” answered Ly. “I also just love the community here, the team at CAB has been amazing to work with and it’s such a collaborative workplace.”
“I just like supporting the community we have here and making students feel welcome,” Stockwell added, “…obviously the budget is the limit, but also the sky’s the limit in terms of like you can be creative, and you can think of whatever kind of event you want, and think about the different niches in RIT… and create something for them.”
It is apparent when attending CAB events that there is a dedication to creativity and improving the student experience. The overall atmosphere of their office also shows a dedication to collaboration, with members popping in and out to help one another set up for events.
Stay tuned for more content from Reporter and CAB on our Instagram pages: @reportermag and @ritcab.
