This semester’s Get on Board Day will be Tuesday from 5 to 10 p.m. on the Ferguson Plaza. This will be the first time the biannual event has been held in the evening rather than during the afternoon.
The later start time is an effort to merge Get on Board Day and Plaza Live into an event that attracts more students, the Source Director of Organizational Outreach D.J., Jackson said.
“What we determined is that we wanted to adopt the feel of Plaza Live, but keep the interactive element of connecting students with involvement opportunities like the Get On Board Days of the past,”Jackson said. “Our goal, that we hope will take place this year, is to create a more engaging GOBD experience for both students and organizations.”
Over 200 student organizations are expected to promote at the event, in addition to nonprofits, UA departments and local vendors.
“The Community Service Center is always striving for the best ways to reach students and help them become involved in some type of meaningful service during their time at the University,” Haley Clemmons, student director of public relations and outreach at the Community Service Center, said. “Get on Board Day allows us to speak directly with new and returning students to not only inform them about volunteer opportunities, but get them excited, as well.”
The revamped event will also feature live entertainment on the Get on Board stage and will integrate technology by allowing students with QR scanners to scan barcodes to connect immediately with an organization that interests them.
“Organizations can also sign up for a spotlight segment on our GOBD stage, where they can broadcast more information about their organization,” Jackson said.
Though the event traditionally targets new students, Jackson said GOBD can be informative for returning students.
“One of the privileges of attending such a dynamically growing university is that new organizations are created throughout the year, and many returning students will have an opportunity to see those at Get on Board Day alongside the first year students,” said Jackson.
Students who are interested in learning more about Get on Board Day can visit The Source’s website at thesource.ua.edu. They may also visit the organization’s Facebook page, Source UA, or follow them on Twitter at @theSOURCEua.
