On Sept. 29, the fire pits behind West Village were aglow, surrounded by groups of students roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. Live singing, guitar playing and poetry readings by student musicians and artists on the open mic stage filled the background air and set a relaxing and comforting atmosphere.
“Buzzy Bondfire” was hosted by the StudentCenter Programs Council (SCPC) this year as a night event to promote community through music, laughter and, as the event description on the SCPC website describes it, the “simple joy of savoring s’mores by the firelight.”
Shreya Jayaswal, fourth-year, CS, is the Ramblin Nights Committee Chair in SCPC. She described the planning process behind this event saying, “for Buzzy Bonfire for example, we started planning it at least one to two months before just figuring out exactly what we want at the event, how many people we can accommodate, things like that logistically, and then also trying to look for a student volunteers to perform at the event.”
While some SCPC events are long-standing traditions on Tech’s campus, they also have the opportunity to create and host new ones or expand on previous ones to present original and refreshing events every semester.
“This particularly isn’t one of those traditional recurring events but we have done a bonfire type event in the past. It’s basically up to the SCPC committees for the semester; they get to plan which events they want to do again. So the bonfire, it kind of has been done before but we wanted to bring it back because it’s kind of like a community vibe,” said Jayaswal, reflecting on the event.
The larger goals of SCPC remain dedicated to Tech’s community, from alumni to student.
“It’s just to first improve students’ experiences in college and also kind of facilitate community within Georgia Tech. [To] show everyone like the inclusivity and welcomeness within our college and also just to provide enjoyable opportunities so students can take breaks, just like hang out and chill,” said Jayaswal.
While some of the larger SCPC events are higher-energy and more involved, this night was one for pleasant and cozy memories. Sitting around a fire, roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores brought back a sense of nostalgia for many students. Sidney Demings, third-year, BMED shared her perspective, saying, “I haven’t been to many [SCPC events] in the past but I’ve been meaning to come to this one in the past years. I’m loving it, it’s very chill and a good way to end the week.”
Nina Otebele, third-year AE spoke on the event, saying, “it’s been kind of fun to see just so many different ways people are actually roasting the marshmallows. I just saw a guy put his stick in it in the fire and then use that stick to roast his own marshmallow. Like it’s just the creativity.”
Students commended the SCPC on their organization and the substance of the event, referencing the program’s timely execution and seamless transition from its beginning to end.
“I think it’s very well put together. The vibes are good. It’s nice,” said Demings.
“I think they’ve done well; it’s fairly organize. It doesn’t seem to be too chaotic, so it’s pretty good,” added Otebele.
The event was a nice way to close out a busy week for students; reminding them of the little pleasures and slower moments in life. The open mic portion was another great opportunity to showcase the diverse talents of Jackets, providing both an outlet for creative expression and a space for creatives to network in the normally STEM-dominated environment.
As one of the largest organizations on campus, SCPC often works in collaboration with Tech students as well as higher administration. Their multitude of events throughout the year range from smaller socials to campus-wide ones.
“SCPC serves to put on events for campus students, faculty and staff. They have a bunch of different themed events.Some are like night time events like rambling nights; we do traditional events like Homecoming, fall concert types and stuff like that. Also the off campus large scale events like aquarium night, so we just serve as an enjoyable aspect to build the college experience for students and even other people who are associated with Georgia Tech,” Jayaswal said.
As fall continues to roll in at the Institute and across the city, students found themselves gathering around the hearth for a fun filled night of s’mores, laughter and friendship. Differing from other events this semester such as GT Night at Six Flags, the Buzzy Bondfire was hosted on campus, providing easier access to students and a low-key, calming atmosphere for free and without requiring registratio. SCPC will be hosting more events both on and off campus throughout the school year open to students and the greater Atlanta community alike. To learn more information about upcoming SCPC events on campus, visit studentcenter.gatech.edu/scpc or follow SCPC on Instagram at @gtscpc.