Behind the scenes of SRyou: What it takes to make everyone soar

Written by Karen Ruhren

About 275 students are set to share their passions on Wednesday, April 2, when Salve Regina University cancels classes to make way for its fourth annual SRyou Student Exposition—showcasing dozens of disciplines ranging from psychology research to music performance. This display of talent, however, doesn’t magically arise on campus without the careful planning of a dedicated Seahawk student committee that has worked all year to make this academic celebration happen on a big scale.

“We plan all year so students don’t have to do anything else but come and celebrate their classmates,” said senior Natalie Coté, president of the SRyou committee. Coté, who has served on the committee for four years, thrives on the energy of the event and her fellow board members, acknowledging the enormous team effort. “Delegation is really hard for college students to do so this is a good opportunity for [us] to learn,” she said.

Divided among four subcommittees—fundraising, scheduling, recruitment and public relations—20 team members meet biweekly in the fall and weekly in the spring. They discuss and assign event responsibilities meticulously categorized on what Coté labels their “massive Google spreadsheet task list.” Every task underscores this year’s theme: “Reaching New Heights with SRyou.”

Senior Lauren Warcup is the SRyou secretary and scheduling director. Involved for the past three years, she found orchestrating SRyou seemed like a natural fit. “I like making lists, I like being organized and I like that the [event] is worthwhile. But I’ve also learned to manage my time better and work with other people, communicate and compromise,” said Warcup, who has become a master scheduler in her own right.

Months before the SRyou Student Exposition, Warcup pieces together a puzzle of presentations on campus. From posters to lectures and speakers to artists, every single project must be allocated a time and space, along with an opening ceremony and a catered lunch for every participant and volunteer. Along with their counterparts in recruitment and marketing, Coté and Warcup take the lead in encouraging participation by talking at the faculty assembly, attending club meetings and spreading SRyou spirit by word of mouth. Their drive has paid off, with more than 125 presentations scheduled this year.

“I’ve been impressed about how truly student-driven this team is,” shared Dr. Katie Gabriele-Black, associate professor of psychology and faculty advisor for SRyou. “The undergrads do 99% of the work, they coordinate with department heads…and they even go to classes to coax people to get involved.” Although she checks in regularly with the group leaders, Gabriele-Black noted the students basically run the show.

Communicating primarily through a committee group chat outside of their regularly scheduled meetings, the SRyou team works diligently to use their funds wisely, investing in swag bags and t-shirts that sport a student-designed logo chosen via a contest they organized. Every volunteer receives one. They also went to local businesses for raffle basket donations. “We’re always willing to partner with other clubs; we like to share the wealth,” said Coté, who added that in conjunction with Salve’s Center for Advising, Career and Life Design, local potential employers will attend, as well.

As the SRyou Student Exposition approaches, the team collaborates with the Association of Student Researchers, which holds a practice session on the eve of the event to offer tips on public speaking. Gabriele-Black finds it rewarding to watch many of her psychology students make great strides in collecting and analyzing data and then making it accessible for fellow students. “They’ve climbed that mountain,” in part because of SRyou, said Gabriele-Black.

When the big day is done, the behind-the-scenes team can feel confident that their work was not only worthwhile, it was enjoyable, too. “The planning committee always has a good time; even when things go wrong, we find a solution. And we help our classmates present the best versions of themselves,” shared Coté.