One of the best things about Mercyhurst is how involved our students are.

Most people are involved in at least one club or organization and are running from one event to the next.

Some of my favorite events, along with that of the student body, are those put on by the Student Activities Council or Multicultural Activities Council.

SAC and MAC deserve to be congratulated for the variety and compelling nature of many of the events that they put on.

This being said, I believe that some of the events could be improved.

Recently, these events have been rather dark, and to be frank, depressing.

On a Friday or Saturday night, our students want to relax and get away from all of their studies and stress.

They cannot accomplish this by attending events loaded with bleak and somber material.

Our classes serve to introduce us to the problems and distresses of the world, so events at these times should not continue to do so.

Offering events that are more upbeat will not only lift students’ spirits but may also provide a better turnout.

This is not to say that events should not be educational, or should not include guest speakers.

Many would agree that those are sometimes the most beneficial and interesting events to attend.

However, they should have an overall positive atmosphere.

If they are inspiring (which, again, many would be pleased with) it should not come from a place of dread and despair, but rather end on an encouraging note.

It also acceptable to schedule events that are just fun for the sake of fun.

For instance, last year there was an event that took students to a corn maze.

This type of event is exciting because it gives students an opportunity to go beyond campus to see all the wonderful, fun things that the Erie area has to offer.

Overall, the majority of SAC and MAC events should be exciting and focused on the fun, creative programs that we have come to expect and appreciate — not events that leave us feeling more drained then when we arrived.