Program Board members are adding more excitement to campus as they introduce new and improved events for students.

Program Board President Hanna Dixon said event ideas come from board members brainstorming.

“We also have online surveys on our social media pages,” she said.

“We try to bring back popular things that students like to do, but we also like to introduce new events.”

Dixon said the most popular event Program Board members host is a Pumpkin Hunt in the fall semester and an Egg Hunt in the spring semester.  

These events provide students opportunities to hunt for pumpkins or eggs and to win prizes if they can find the hidden objects on campus.

“We’re changing up the hunt a little this year in terms of prizes,” Dixon said. 

“We’re going to try and add different things for students to win this year.”

Dixon said the starting date for the Egg Hunt this year will be either April 7 or 8 with a block party closing the event April 12.

Other popular events include the Create-A-Creature, where students can build their own stuffed animals, and movie nights, when Program Board members rent out a theater at Richland Cinemas along Theatre Drive for the evening.

Dixon said, in October, she and other Program Board members went to a National Association for Campus Activities conference to get event ideas.

This conference is held every year to provide college students with programs and events that focus on student development.

It was at this year’s conference where they met Nelly’s Echo, a former competitor on “The Voice,” and they booked him to perform Feb. 20 at Pitt-Johnstown.

However, due to inclement weather, his performance was canceled and is being rescheduled for an undetermined date.

Program Board Marketing Manager Emily Williams said there is a high demand from students for certain events each year.

Other events Program Board members have done and are going to introduce include Campus Feud, imitating the game show “Family Feud” and The Drop, inspired by the show “The Wall” on NBC.

“It started with Nerdology, an interactive trivia game,” Williams said.

“Students loved it so much and started saying they wanted it back.

“We either bring an event back or bring it back in a different style,” she said.

“It’s better than doing the same thing over and over again.”

Sophomore Kayla VanOrmer said she enjoys participating in the seasonal hunts and Create-A-Creature every year.

“I’ve done both hunts, but never found anything,” VanOrmer said. 

“But that doesn’t make me want to stop looking. It’s a lot of fun,” she said.

“I’ve also really enjoyed making a teddy bear at Create-A-Creature.

“I didn’t get to do it the second year they did it because I was out of town, so I was a little disappointed.

“It’s something I would definitely do again, though.”

Dixon said each event’s cost varies, and there is no specific budget for each event, but events that are booked at the National Association for Campus Activities conference receive discounted rates.

She also said that the Program Board budget is different every school year.

“(Program Board is) under the student government constitution, and we get a certain allocated amount every year,” Dixon said.

“The amount of money that we get fluctuates based on enrollment.

“We usually get around $90,000 every school year, but we’re getting a little less this year because enrollment is down.”