Late Night ’SC offers unique programming

USC is about to get an entirely new nighttime scene, and it’s taking place right here on campus.

The University’s Campus Activities is in the process of developing Late Night ’SC, a new program that will provide undergraduate and graduate students with a wide variety of after hours activities to do on campus. From movie nights in Bovard Auditorium to midnight farmers markets the programs will take place Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The program is run by Gabriel Valenzuela, director of USC Campus Activities. Undergraduate Student Government Vice President Jordan Fowler is assisting Valenzuela as Late Night ’SC’s student program manager.

“I brought [Fowler] on board because I thought it’d be great to have the vision from the student’s perspective as well,” Valenzuela said. “What I want to see is a little different from what students wants to see.”

While Valenzuela oversees the program, Fowler and students who choose to be involved in the Late Night ’SC team will handle more day-to-day requirements such as keeping the social media platforms updated with current events.

“I think in college, obviously academics are so important, but so much of your college experience is defined by your social interactions and what you choose to do in that free time, and I think that Late Night ’SC is an opportunity to make those late night programs in your social experience more accessible to you,” Fowler said. “Right now, there is so much freedom, so we want students to let us know what they want and we can make it happen.”

Though USC already has some late night programs through organizations such as Residential Education or USG Program Board, the goal of Late Night ’SC is to take all of those different activities and put them together in one package to create a more cohesive space among the University.

“I think Late Night ’SC will foster a much greater sense of community,” Fowler said. “Those people you meet at random events, those interactions that you don’t necessarily expect or set out to have, can be really long lasting. I hope that Late Night ‘SC will provide a new platform to meet new people and let students expand their interests as well.”

What Late Night ’SC is aiming for is as much involvement from students and their organizations as possible. They are hoping a wide variety of student clubs on campus will want to participate and plan events that Late Night ‘SC can then help promote and manage.

“We’re excited about it; however I think we still need more vision, which is really a call for students, no matter how crazy their idea is,” Valenzuela said.

Fowler hopes that online and social media platforms such as Facebook will serve as the main method of spreading the word about Late Night ’SC programs. Eventually, when the program is further developed, she hopes to create a home base on campus where students can go and find out about different events of the evening. Valenzuela hopes that Student Affairs can support other clubs in creating events for Late Night ’SC.

“Basically we are the marketing and supporting arm,” Valenzuela said. “So if someone hosts an event, we want to offer them the chance to make it a Late Night ’SC event and provide them with the appropriate giveaways like t-shirts, stickers, balloons and so on.”

Looking forward, Fowler and Valenzuela hope this new initiative will increase student safety and add variety to the types of activities students can partake in on campus at night.

“I think giving students safe options and more options is always helpful,” Valenzuela said. “With anything it’s a balance. The overall aim is to provide this alternative type of program with fun activities that are all happening at night and put them under one branch.”

The program is expected to kick off end of February or early March, to coincide with the longer days and better weather.

“My goal is in a year’s time, Late Night ’SC will have really taken off and everyone will know what it is,” Valenzuela said. “This is kind of like a two-to-three year vision, rather than semester. Hopefully, it is here to stay.”’