Due to restrictions for gatherings, Student Association (SA) hosted the Red Pride Picnic over the course of a week.
Valley Nights meets with students. Vanguard Photo | Audrey Bergey 
Dining Services offers time to answer questions from students during the Red Picnic. Vanguard Photo | Audrey Bergey
Although some events were held virtually, some were able to take place in the President’s Courtyard as usual.
“I was trying to find a way to make Red Pride Picnic in the President’s Courtyard,” said Roxana Bermudez, SA’s campus events director. “I had to design a map of how I was going to organize the tables and for the students and staff to see.”
Bermudez said the most challenging part of planning the picnic was having to make face-to-face and virtual events safe.
“I had a discussion with Thomas Metiva, the SA president, and we decided to do the event via Zoom so that, in a way, we could ensure the safety of the students on campus,” she said.
Bermudez said that, despite the pandemic, students still participated in the event.
“I like that (the students) are engaging with each other even if the event is via Zoom and they don’t make anything awkward,” she said. “In general, the participation of the RSOs was good because (they were) supporting each other and that’s something you won’t see often.”
She noted that a few RSOs dropped out of the picnic without warning, leaving gaps in the schedule.
“In the end, I found ways to pass the time until the next RSO was up to talk,” she said.
She said she hoped that RSOs would continue to grow this semester.
“I also hope for the students to support the RSOs and do something great at this campus,” Bermudez said.
RJ Key, the president of Forever Red, participated in the picnic again this year to spread word of his RSO.
“Recruitment has been a challenge this year, so I was glad to see that SA and Student Life were still providing RSOs the opportunities to present to the student body,” Key said.
Involvement in RSOs is more important now than ever, he said.
“RSOs are critical this year in making sure that students feel connected with each and with SVSU when we otherwise have to be physically distant,” he said. “Forever Red has taken that challenge to heart and I know other organizations have, too.”
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