Event turnout at Alma College: Crickets

JAMIE DIEDRICH
STAFF WRITER

4/7/2025

Overall, I think it is fair to say that event turnout at Alma College is exceedingly low. In my opinion, the turnout at Alma College events varies so much because, like the college, they are not directed towards the average student. Alma students have such busy lives that there typically is not time to attend events and, even when there is, those events are usually spread through word of mouth or by affiliation with someone in said organization.  

I think another reason that negatively affects event attendance is the poor or no usage of social media. Choir, FSL and DEI are three organizations I believe do this well, posting the event to Instagram, putting it in their stories or putting it in chats and encouraging people to come. Additionally, this leads to interested people reaching out to their friends, so they don’t have to go alone. 

Regardless of this, I have been to many choir events on this campus and the turnout does not match the level of talent, as the audience is typically only comprised of families and friends – unless it’s an event based around a holiday. 

“I think it’s usually fine. You get a lot more freshmen showing up to those kinds of events where it’s more like ‘Come get to know the team so you can join the team.’ It feels a little different from fraternity and sorority life, which is also about meeting the group to join, but in a much more formal or exclusive way. I’m also more likely to go to events if my friends are the ones organizing them,” said Abigial Haag (‘25), a member of Model UN. 

Frankly, I tend to go to any event for extra credit, but it’s almost hook, line and sinker because there are events I would return to regardless of whether or not I got extra credit. An example is the “Payback” event done with Richard Douglas (‘68), who discussed his career advocating and making change in the medical field. I would gladly listen to him speak again, but if I had just read about the event prior with no teach influence, I probably would have avoided going.   

“I went to the YDSA roundtable they just had on Trump’s first fifty days—yeah, I was offered extra credit for it, but I didn’t even write the paper. I went because I genuinely wanted to. It wasn’t even really about the extra credit. I knew some of the people organizing it, and some of my professors were speaking. I actually thought it had a pretty good turnout, especially considering it was basically a two-hour lecture.” said Haag. 

Other factors that can affect event turnout include if the event charges for admission, giveaways, whether it is faculty or run by students, bribery through extra credit and by far the largest, whether or not people the individual knows will be there. Students are less likely to go to an event if it’s meant to be social and run by staff or a more official organization. Nobody wants to be stared at with the anticipation that they’ll join something.  

It is unfortunate because Alma College has a ton of events that are meant to have a positive impact on the students, but nobody ends up going. Alma College has a wonderful plethora of events; they just need to advocate for them differently. Events that get the most traction, FSL or not, are advertised well and make intentional use of social media.  

I should know; that’s how I learn about most of my events. Putting professors in the loop helps as well – anything to tie the event into the school’s love of getting students out there and involved.