Name: Elise Yonika
Year: Senior
Hometown: South Windsor, CT
Claim to Fame: Major Weekends Chair for SUBOG
Enjoyed Homecoming this fall? This week’s Campus Celebrity helped plan one of Her Campus’s favorite Homecoming events: Lip Sync! Here I spoke with Elise Yonika, the Major Weekends Chair for SUBOG.
How did you get involved with SUBOG?
I started going to meetings for SUBOG’s Concert Committee during my freshman year with a few other girls that lived on my floor. That year I had the opportunity to work on three different productions and saw what goes into planning such a large scale event from start to finish! Needless to say I fell in love with event planning and my organization. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t join SUBOG.
What makes you feel that your position suits you?
Last year I had the amazing opportunity to hold the position of SUBOG’s Vice President for Programming. I got to plan some traditional events like WOW Block Party and the Spring Weekend Food Truck Festival. Large scale events like that are very challenging but they are also so excited and rewarding! I knew that for my Senior Year I really wanted to plan as many big events as I could, so leading the Major Weekends Committee couldn’t be a more perfect fit.
How do you balance your huge responsibilities to UConn and your studies/other activities?
One of the best parts about leading a committee with SUBOG is that you never have to do anything alone! My committee is made up for 35 wonderful people who worked so hard to put together Homecoming week. I also find huge support from my fellow SUBOG Board Members and the Advising Staff in the Student Activities Programs Office. Homecoming is one of those times where everyone comes together to work on one event which is one of the reasons it’s such a special time of year!
What’s your favorite Homecoming event?
Lip Sync is definitely my favorite event. The talent and creativity that is seen when all of the participants hit the stage is unbelievable. Every year the show just gets better and better. It’s also so awesome to look out into the audience and seeing over 6,000 people enjoying themselves and knowing that you played a huge part of that.
What do you specifically do with these events?
As the Major Weekends Committee Chair I’ve been working with my committee since April to plan Homecoming. Together we brainstormed possible themes and selected “dynamic duos.” Then we had to create a marketing campaign, so we came up with a tag line, designed a logo, and chose giveaways. I also selected two committee members who worked very closely with me in planning Lip Sync and another committee member played a crucial part in the planning of the Pageant and Alma Mater sing. Most of our responsibilities are logistical so we do things like order catering, find judges, find different ways to advertise, coordinate with all the participants and make sure that everyone turns in their paperwork on time and gives us all the information we need. And of course, I don’t think I’ve ever answered as many emails in my life as I have this Homecoming Season.