Looking Ahead into the School Year
culture  

Looking Ahead into the School Year

By Michelle

Hi everyone! I thought I’d take a break from filling out medical school applications to share with you all my plans for the upcoming school year as ASCIT Social Director. Many of these events have traditionally been held every year around the same time, while some are new ideas that I’ve recently come up with. Let me know what you think! Fall term:

  • End-of-Rotation Party: A party to celebrate the end of rotation! Enough said. [ANNUAL]
  • End-of-Rotation Carnival: I help Tom Mannion host a school-wide carnival predominantly for the new incoming frosh in mid-October. There are usually lots of fun, traditional carnival games and activities, endless amounts of food, great musical performances by current students, and this year, a memorable nighttime “show.” If you’re a prospective student, you won’t want to miss this event! [ANNUAL]
  • Interhouse Pumpkin Carving Contest: Houses compete to carve the coolest and most unique pumpkin. The house that wins gets a dinner at Tom’s. [NEW LAST YEAR, HOPING TO BECOME ANNUAL]

Creative pumpkins!

  • David Garibaldi Art Show and After (Paint) Party: This is my latest idea for the upcoming year. I’m hoping to hire David Garibaldi, an amazing performance painter, for a show at Caltech. I’d love to host a massive paint party for the students afterwards since everyone will be all hyped up from the show. [NEW]

David Garibaldi on America’s Got Talent.

  • Coffeehouse Holiday Bash: Celebrating the December holidays at our coffehouse with assorted holiday food and drinks, a cappella performances, holiday movies, trivia, cookie decorating, pictures with Santa and his “reindeer” (who was Tom’s dog last year) and elves, etc… [NEW LAST YEAR, HOPING TO BECOME ANNUAL]

Us with Santa and his elf! Winter term:

  • Winter Wonderland: I hire a company to set up a synthetic ice rink on campus near the houses along with some fake snow for sledding and snowball fights. Tom gives out lots of warm food and drinks to keep people full and happy. A white Christmas in California! [NEW TWO YEARS AGO, HOPING TO BECOME ANNUAL]
  • Be A Kid Again: Around the time girl scout cookies come out, I have a giant “kiddy” event at Tom’s house where I’ll get a giant bounce house, hire a face painter, put on some Disney movies, and most importantly, rent puppies for students to play with. Tom also orders a LOT of girl scout cookies for us to eat. Best way ever to relive your childhood. [NEW TWO YEARS AGO, HOPING TO BECOME ANNUAL] Spring term:
  • ASCIT Movie Night: Tom buys hundreds of movie tickets each year and treats students to a new movie at the local theater. Two years ago, we saw The Avengers, and this past year, students had the choice between Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness. [ANNUAL]
  • Europarty: A party hosted by me and the exchange students…it’s a fun cultural event that usually attracts grad and foreign students. [ANNUAL]

  • Cirque Du Soleil Show: This year, as my final event, I’d love to try and get a low key Cirque Du Soleil show held on campus somewhere…I haven’t thought out the details much, but I feel like the entire Caltech community would enjoy an event like this! [NEW] And if money allows for it…

  • Concert: I would also love to get a famous musician/band on campus for a concert. My class (class of 2014) never got the opportunity to have an on-campus concert, so I think it’d be awesome as a parting event.

Termly:

  • Rathskeller Nights: The past two terms, I’ve rented out the Rathskeller, the bar and game room at the Athenaeum on campus, for students to hang out and enjoy some subsidized food and drinks. It’s really nice being able to socialize and enjoy the scene here since the Ath is usually a members-only facility. [NEW LAST YEAR, HOPING TO BECOME TERMLY]
  • Throw in a couple of parties here and there as well, and we call it a year! Events held every other year (and not being held this year):
  • Big I
  • ASCIT Formal See my first post for detailed descriptions of these events.

If any of you readers are prospective students, feel free to throw out ideas as to what events you’d like me to add to the upcoming year!

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