The tried-and-true student outing to Coconut Grove on Thirsty Thursdays may have met its match.
Once a month on Thursday nights, the Student Activities Center (SAC) will be the home of Canes After Dark, a late-night entertainment program.
“Let’s make use of this gorgeous building,” said Kathy Andrade, assistant director of student activities and student organizations. The administration appointed her to coordinate an established, on-campus, late-night activity.
Canes After Dark provides multiple events from various organizations and vendors all in one night. Each night is centered on a different theme.
The inaugural event took place on Aug. 29. The theme, “We Welcome U Home,” focused on the start of the semester. Activities included dueling pianos at the Rat, salsa classes by SalsaCraze, an improv show by Mission Improvable 2, a Zumba class, free pizza from Power Pizzeria, and arts and crafts.
“In essence, the goal is to make the Student Activity Center the place to be,” Andrade said. “It’s a time to get student organizations and departments and offices involved into programming at once.”
Fellow freshman Riva Trivedi thought the experience helped her get acquainted with the SAC.
“Canes After Dark did well because it got people to know more about the SAC and what they could do there,” she said.
Freshman Kristen Cilluffo had only one grievance about Canes After Dark.
“They ran out of stuffed animals,” she said.
Both Cilluffo and Trivedi agree that since the event is once a month, they are willing to attend Canes After Dark rather than going to the Grove or South Beach.
Next month’s theme “End of Summer Bash” will be a goodbye to summer that will be held be Sept. 20. On Oct. 11, the SAC will take inspiration from the Paranormal Activity films for the month’s theme, and December will celebrate the season with “Winter Wonderland.”
There will not be a Canes After Dark night for the month of November because of Homecoming.
Andrade feels that the students and their efforts will determine the success of these events.
“My goal is to get the creativity out of the students and student organizations,” she said.
Before her post here at UM, Andrade organized the late-night program at the University of Connecticut.
“I jumped on the opportunity to be able to take on what I’ve learned at U Conn. and apply it to building a late-night program at UM,” she said.