The History of CAB
The Campus Activities Board has a history which spans two
decades and which reflects the changes in popular culture during
that time period.
Prior to 1974 the Student Government Association
provided "activities" for the student body such as dances,
concerts, homecoming events, and the Miss Southeastern Pageant.
Things were changing, however, both locally and nationally.
Students were requesting more activities on campus, stretching
SGA's financial and personnel resources. At the same time, the
field of "student activities" was becoming more professional and
specialized at the national level.
In 1968, the National Entertainment Conference
was chartered to assist colleges and universities in "block
booking" entertainers, thereby saving money for each school. As the
profession evolved, education became a major goal and in 1976 the
organization's name was changed to the National Entertainment and
Campus Activities Association to reflect the broader constituency
it served and the varied activities programs presented by campuses.
Finally, in 1982, the organization's name was changed to the
current National Association for Campus Activities, reflecting the
broad-based student development and leadership philosophy of the
organization in addition to the traditional role of providing
entertainment to students.
To meet the growing demand for activities, the
Student Government Association held a student referendum in 1974 to
create the Student Activities Board and to assess students $7.00
per semester to fund SAB's activities. The referendum passed and
the STudent Activities Board, and a new era of student involvement,
was born.
What activities were popular then? This was a
time before cable television and video rentals and movies were very
popular. It was not uncommon for 300-400 students to pay 25 cents
to see one of the popular movies shown every Monday night.
This was also a time when bands used the college
market to become known and develop a following. Touring was
relatively inexpensive, so colleges could afford to do concerts
without fear of losing a great deal of mony. As a result, colleges
across the country, including Southeastern, could present two to
four concerts a year and students would attend in large numbers
because there wasn't anywhere near the competition for
entertainment dollars that exists today.
The 1970's were also a time of interest in
self-discovery and self-improvment. Arts and crafts wer very
popular. A program called "Leisure Learning" provided classes in
such areas as self-hypnosis, astrology, macrame, sand painting,
etc. Students, as well as faculty and staff, took advantage of
these inexpensive programs.
The Miss Southeastern Pageant and Strawberry
Jubilee, which was begun in the mid-70's, were very popular with
students.
The decade of the 1980's saw a change in
American culture and in student interests. The idealism of the
Vietnam era was replaced by the "me" decade. Students became more
conservative and career-oriented. They no longer came out to hear
nationally-known speakers, and they certainly lost interest in the
"leisure learning" programs of the 70's.
New technology was making old programs obsolete.
Cable television and rental videos steadily drove down the number
of students attending movies. Nationally-known bands turned first
to the clubs on the east and west coast to find an udience, and
then to MTV where they could receive instant national exposure and
followers. Their stage shows became extravaganzas and slowly but
surely most colleges and universities were priced out of the major
concert scene.
It was during this same period that the student
activities profession was being asked to provide more than "fun adn
games" for students. The term "student development" came to
dominate the student activities mission and an emphasis on
educational and cultural programs competed with entertainment in
the programming process. It was during this time that the Student
Activities Board became the Campus Activities Board to reflect its
interest in reaching the entire campus community as well as the
srrounding community.
After Southeastern cut its football program, an
event called Fanfare was initiated to provide alternative
activities in the Fall semester. The Campus Activities Board was
instrumental in building Fanfare to the program it is now,
providing programs and money to bring in many of the main events of
Fanfare.
The most improtant programming activity to come
along in the 1980's was the stand-up comic. CAB started a program
called "The Comedy Corner" which was initially held int he
Snackbar. As young comedians flourished throughout the nation so
did they at Southeastern. The Snackbar quickly became too small to
hold the audiences and the program was moved to the Ballroom, where
standing room only crowds became common. Today, of course, the
University Center is needed to hold the audiences for well-known
comedians.
Throughout the years, one common element has
been sure to produce a crowd -- Free Food!! Outdoor activities such
as Gumbo Ya-Ya have increased and always seem to be one of the
favorite activities for students.
Today? You are today, and it is still your job
to find out what sutdent want and provide activities to meet those
interests. That has not changed over the years. You still have the
responsibility to provide programs which help people grow
developmentally. This is a much more difficult job than hiring a
comedian, but one which is much more important. You hold in your
hands the power not only to entertain students for one night, but
to also provide lessons and experiences which will be with them for
the rest of their lives.