Hosted by the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Random Acts of Kindness, the idea sprang out of another MRC event, “Jocks, Elephant in the Room,” a discussion on the image of athletes on campus and particularly the divide between athletes and non-athletes.
“We hoped to not only get everyone on campus to meet new people, but specifically mix up athletes and non-athletes,” said SAAC president Sarah Leyman ’11.
After a planning meeting, discussions with Dining Services and a publicity campaign, the groups were ready to implement their plan. Ushers directed students to tables, placing them with people they did not usually sit with.
Though only a small portion of the student body participated in the mixer, Leyman declared the event a success. She hopes to increase participation with repeated events.
“I think the event was a huge success,” she said. “While the participants might be a small proportion of the total student body, it was certainly a diverse group. More people than I probably even realize filtered in and out during the two and a half hours of the event. I only heard positive feedback from everyone that participated and most people wanted to see the event happen again and with some frequency in the future. As a student-athlete, I was so excited to participate and see my fellow athletes participate also.”
The organizers of the mixer are currently in talks planning to repeat the event and many students also expressed a desire for future mixers, even if they did not participate in the first one.
“Personally, I regret sleeping through it and would love to see this event happen again in the near future,” said Nathan Nash ’12. “I think that it’s a great way to get people who wouldn’t normally talk or even see each other at Amherst together and to break through the classic Amherst awkwardness and cliquishness.”