Written by Stacy Roibal
Club Week can be a stressful time on campus for people who are going through the club process. But the week is also tough for those who aren’t, so Harding University Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) is throwing their second annual “Fall Bash,” which will offer events every night of this coming week from Sunday, Nov. 6, to Friday, Nov. 11, for students not participating in club activities.
In their most recent Instagram post, HEAL urged students to participate, saying: “Not joining a social club? You are invited to come to Fall Bash, put on by HEAL and different campus organizations and students. …Come for a break from studies and a time of fun and encouragement.”
The plans for Fall Bash have been made in collaboration with HU Explore, Black Student Association (BSA), Student Association (SA), Honors College, Nooma, Brackett Library, and University President Mike Williams and Lisa Williams.
Dr. J.D. Yingling, professor of kinesiology and aquatics director, created Fall Bash when he recognized the need after talking with some of his students last fall, according to senior Hannah Ireland, a HEAL Guide.
Ireland said the goal of Fall Bash is to “minister to students who either choose not to participate in the club process or who did not make it into the club of their choice.”
There will be a short devo offered at the end of every event, similar to how club mixers are set up, and Ireland said that they plan to keep Wednesday night flexible for students who want to attend their own devos.
A major draw this year is the cereal night happening at the president’s house. Ireland said the Williams are “very excited for it — like so enthusiastic about getting to work with HEAL and the student body, which is really encouraging.”
Ireland said there is also an effort to build student-faculty relationships outside of the classroom.
“Another major draw throughout the week is that we’ve been inviting, I think, at this point every single department’s faculty and staff to just pick a night and come hang out,” Ireland said.
Dr. Jon Singleton, professor of English and chair of the department, said he loves the idea of faculty participation because “it shows a care for the whole community” to ensure that all students have support, encouragement and alternate ways to connect and build relationships.
“The more that we teachers can really be aware of our students as people, and not just as students we’re evaluating, then the more we can teach students in a way we really should be teaching them — for a bigger kind of success, for a bigger life than the subject matter that we’re assigning to them,” Singleton said.
Ireland expressed a similar sentiment about the point of Fall Bash.
“You are loved,” Ireland said. “There are so many people on this campus that want to love you — professors, faculty, staff, our president and his wife, and other students, regardless of what social club they’re in. You’re loved, and there is connection to be found all over campus.”
