Baker University students had the opportunity to celebrate the start of October with a tabling event called ‘Socktober’ on Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year Socktober was hosted by the Student Activities Council in an effort to bring something fun to both midterm week and World Mental Health Day
While Socktober is traditionally an event held to collect sock donations for a local charity or homeless shelter, the Student Activities Council has given it a new meaning. With Kiley Hawk, Student Activities Council Recreation Coordinator, leading the charge, students were able to enter a raffle to win their favorite pair of socks displayed on the table. Students could enter the raffle by bringing a shelf-stable food as a donation, they then wrote their names and contact information on a ticket and popped it in a bowl that corresponded with the socks they were interested in.
SAC executive board members, sophomore Jonathan Ruiz Vice President of Marketing along with juniors Hawk and Sebastian Cordova Vice President, greeted students as they entered the union and walked by the table. Students were invited to chat with SAC members as well as other students hoping to win a fun, new pair of socks. Gary Lazard Jr., director of student life, was also in attendance, greeting students.
The main purpose of this event is to provide students with a fun, comfortable gift to brighten their week. World Mental Health Day fell right in the middle of midterm week, so the fuzzy socks were meant to provide comfort during a stressful time. In addition to Socktober, the Student Activities Council also worked to incorporate other stress-reducing events throughout the week, including a Tie Dye event on Monday, Oct. 9, and Grocery Loteria on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
While Socktober started at Baker University with the Baker Serves team, the university’s community service organization, Hawk was the one to present it at the Student Activities Council’s Event Proposal Night which happens once a semester. The event proposal night helps to guide the Student Activities Council on events students want to see throughout the following semester.
The next Event Proposal Night will be held on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Union Den, located in the basement of Harter Union. “The event is open to all students who have ideas of what to put on around campus,” Cordova said.
