Widener: After Hours
On a Friday night in late September in the University Center Atrium, scores of students learned how to dance salsa and meringue, and sampled food from various Hispanic and Latin cultures.
It was the second year the student group, Latinos Unidos, held its Muevete Con El Ritmo event. But this year was bigger and better.
That’s in large part because the organization had a larger budget, thanks to the new Pride Night program series, opening the door for them to bring in the group, Salsa Magic, to teach students all the right dance moves.
“Our goal was to engage students, have them experience other cultures, and expand their knowledge,” said Maritza Garcia ’25, president of Latinos Unidos. “We wanted to expand the event and Pride Night really gave us that opportunity.”
The result: attendance doubled over last year.
Now in its first full year, Pride Night is a program designed to encourage and incentivize student organizations to provide more late-night and weekend events, typically on Fridays and Saturdays between 7 p.m. and midnight.
The goal is to offer students more choices of things to do on the weekends.
“In the past, events would be over by 8 or 9 p.m. We want to ensure there are offerings every weekend,” said Erich Bonitz, Widener’s assistant director of campus engagement and student programs.
The night after Muevete Con El Ritomo, the Council of Independent Organizations (CIO) ran its Fall Festival, also part of the Pride Night series. The large-scale festival ran until 10 p.m. and featured Skee-Ball, axe throwing, and a shop for students to make personalized signs.
“My freshman year, there were very few programs at night on campus,” said CIO president Zoe Sweet ’25. “Pride Night is great for people who don’t like off-campus activities or are tired of off-campus activities. It’s a great way to enjoy the college experience in a safe manner. And it can prevent people from going home on the weekends.”
Through the Pride Night program, student groups apply for and receive additional funding from the Office of Student Engagement. The funding supplements their budget allocation from the Student Government Association, and helps organizations expand and further develop an event.
“Pride Night is a great way to bring ideas to life,” said Garcia.
Latinos Unidos was able to run a second Pride Night event in the fall, a Día de Los Muertos celebration.
Sweet said that much of the amenities of CIO’s Fall Festival wouldn’t have been possible without the Pride Night funding.
“We were able to have large things at the event and draw people in. We are definitely planning a spring semester Pride Night event because it was so successful,” she said. “And Erich works with you throughout the process.”
Through the Pride Night program, student group organizers partner with a university staff advisor, who helps them navigate the ins and outs of working with vendors and planning bigger events. In this way, the program is helping students to further hone their event-planning, leadership, and communication skills.
“They learn insider tricks and tips about programming,” said Bonitz.
