India Slodki/The Broadside
On Dec. 1, Central Oregon Psychology Enthusiasts (COPE) hosted the first student showcase of the school year. The last big event before the COVID-19 shut down was a student showcase. It seemed only natural that it should be one of the first big events since coming back.
Every year, COPE puts on the student showcase the Wednesday before finals. This year, the showcase was put on in the Modoc and Ochoco buildings. From 4:00-7:00 students and staff had the opportunity to share what they had been working on over the term. The theme this year was movement, an homage to post-COVID freedom.
“The goal is just to bring people together, and especially with finals, it’s just nice to have somewhere to go and just be connected,” said Meah McCraw, a student volunteer who helped put the showcase together.
Not only did students and faculty present on topics they were interested in, but the showcase also played host to other events, such as live music, free haircuts, and a fan favorite pop-up clothing shop.
“I think my favorite part was the clothing connection. They provide 10 items per term to any OSU or COCC student. The fact that they had their doors open and they had live music right by them and there was a student doing haircuts was awesome,” said Ray Barram, the volunteer coordinator for the event.
Despite a relatively smooth execution on Wednesday, the event organizers came across some roadblocks when trying to plan the event.
“We have a lot of people to volunteer now, but it was difficult at first. Then getting people to communicate on time, it’s hard,” McCraw said.
With a million things to figure out, the event organizers had a lot on their plate, and not a whole lot of manpower to pull it together.
“It was honestly like myself, a couple of freshmen and Professor Novak, kind of arranging the whole circus,” Barram said.
Typically, COPE hosts a showcase every term, the week before finals. The next one will take place after the winter term. If you are interested in getting involved, Contact Ray Barram–[email protected], or Andria Woodell–[email protected], for more information.
