JASMINE D’ARCANGELIS
STAFF WRITER
Crossover is Alma College’s take on a university’s “Welcome Weekend.” Upperclassmen begin festivities on the evening of Labor Day, and Freshman are not to cross on to South Campus until midnight. While the concept of Crossover is brilliant, the marketing and execution are all wrong.
Crossover is not being used to its full potential. Alongside being a way to signify the last official day of summer break, Crossover is also an opportunity for organizations on campus to market to upperclassmen and first year students.
There are not enough clubs and organizations involved in Crossover. I understand that this is typically considered a “party tradition,” but it is still a great time for small groups to get their names out there.
On top of clubs and organizations, Greek organizations could really benefit from using Crossover as a recruitment tool. Fraternities do an outstanding job at hosting parties, but there are plenty of ways to market the Greek Life experience during Crossover.
Clubs and organizations could host their own events on different areas of North Campus, (i.e., hall lobbies, Joe’s) during the hours leading up to midnight. This way, Freshman could not only be exposed to campus organizations, but also have another opportunity to form connections with their classmates in order to make the party experience more enjoyable.
I believe that while typically explained as a Freshman-Oriented tradition, Crossover is marketed more to upperclassmen. I attended Freshman Orientation last fall, during which Crossover was never mentioned. I, and most of my peers, were not even aware that parties were taking place on Labor Day.
After interacting with some of this year’s Freshman class, I noticed that this pattern was consistent. While my friends and I were all very excited to go out and celebrate, not many freshmen knew what was going on.
While attending parties on Crossover, even after midnight, I saw very few unfamiliar faces, and of those I did not recognize, there were very few Freshman. This only proved to me that Crossover was being marketed to the wrong people.
This needs to change. Crossover should be mentioned at some point during Freshman Orientation, where it should be stressed that this event is the perfect way to meet more people, and really experience the fun side of campus before the stress of school starting.
All of that being said, I still do think that there are great things about Crossover. From what I have experienced, the overall atmosphere of South Campus during Crossover is positive and fun.
Ultimately, Crossover is a tradition that is important to the Alma experience, and I hope that eventually it is used up to its full potential.
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