University Productions hosted its first Late Night Lamberton event to provide an on-campus, late-night activity for students on Sept. 29.
University Productions president, Christian Dietz, ’18, is working with Ricardo Hall, the vice provost for Student Affairs, to host these events. Hall is spearheading an initiative to offer alternatives on campus to the existing party culture.
“We don’t have a lot of late-night programing done through the university,” Dietz said. “This is the start to grow that. Hall wanted to have a place where there was something for students to do late at night.”
Dietz said the extra programming is another weekend activity option for Lehigh students.
The latest event in Lamberton Hall featured student DJ Jasmine Banful, ’20, known as DJ Zen. Food and soft drinks were also provided for students.
“I never went to these types of events when I was a freshman,” Lara Reid, ’18, said. “I couldn’t even tell you if they existed then.”
Some students who attended the event used this opportunity to take a study break during the 4 o’clock exam period.
Reid and her friend Irene Gao, ’18, both arrived in comfortable studying attire as they trekked up to Lamberton from Fairchild-Martindale Library.
“We’re senior engineer majors,” Gao said. “That’s why we’re at the library on a Friday night — 4 o’clocks are just beginning. We can’t go out, but we wanted to have a fun study break somehow and support our friend (DJ Zen).”
Dietz emphasized that an important aspect of Late Night Lamberton is to create an organic partnership between student organizations on campus. He said University Productions is taking on a lead role with these events because they have the infrastructure and past experience with event planning.
For this first co-sponsored event, Global Union paired up with University Productions to kick off the Late Night Lamberton series.
Global Union vice president Kaung Myat, ’19, said he thinks if student organizations continue to co-sponsor these late-night events, they will become a new party spot for students on campus.
“Not many students know about this event since it happened so quickly, but this is a new start,” Myat said.
Dietz didn’t know how many students to expect at the event, but he knew the night would be what the students made of it.
“Tonight, we are just creating an atmosphere that people would want to go to,” Dietz said.
Myat and the rest of the Global Union executive board were pleased to co-sponsor the event with University Productions. Twenty years ago, Global Union was created at a party and events like these take the club back to its roots.
Myat and Gao both agreed that on-campus events like these are safer for students than walking down East Fifth Street.
“This is an inclusive event for all students on campus to enjoy,” Gao said. “This is a great event for first years who are scared to go to off-campus parties.”
Myat said events like these diversify students’ late-night activity options and are a way to move parties back onto the Hill.
Although this was the first Late Night Lamberton event, Hall — with the help of University Productions — has created a tentative plan for two more Friday night programs during October. Campus organizations have the opportunity to co-sponsor these upcoming events with University Productions if they wish.
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