By Kaitlyn Abella
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Hello! I’m a current student at the Schulich School of Business and Co-President of York Asian Society! Learn more on my About page.
How do student clubs plan cultural events on campus?
When it comes to planning a cultural event on campus, it’s crucial to give your team a clear learning goal and room to design activities that help students take part in the engagement.
Start by deciding what you want other students to learn and choosing a format that makes it easy for students to engage. For York Asian Society’s Mid-Autumn Festival Tea Time Talks, I helped oversee various traditions and legends from East and Southeast Asian countries to share an engaging, sit-down conversation, where students could enjoy snacks and ask questions.
I gave our event coordinators the creative freedom to plan, design, and execute the presentation around Mid-Autumn Festival legends from East and Southeast Asia. For the icebreaker, we attached prompts to red lanterns so students could solve them and earn a treat.
How would you divide the work for a campus cultural event?
Agree early on who will lead the presentation, who will run which activities, and who will handle logistics, such as room bookings and refreshments. When Founders College invited our team, York Asian Society to host Tea Time Talks, our team designed the presentation and prepared the lantern icebreaker.
York University’s event planning guide recommends breaking the work into smaller tasks and assigning responsibilities.
- Presentation: Assign a lead to choose the stories, prepare the slides, and coordinate the speakers.
- Activities: Give someone ownership of the icebreaker, including the prompts, supplies, and instructions.
- Logistics: Confirm with your campus partner who will handle the room, refreshments, and setup.
Brandeis University’s delegation guide recommends looking into each individual’s skills and whether they’ll need some guidance before assigning a task.
If you’re curious about how my experience with York Asian Society connects to my current career goals, please give why I want to pursue a career in marketing a read!
Frequently asked questions
What are some cultural event ideas for college student organizations?
Try a storytelling session over tea, a hands-on craft activity, or a trivia night. Pick a format that fits what you want students to learn and gives them an easy way to join in.
What’s a simple icebreaker for a campus cultural event?
Have students try out a short puzzle or discussion prompt they can try in small groups. At our Mid-Autumn Festival Tea Time Talks, we attached prompts to red lanterns and offered a treat to students who successfully solved them. 🥹❤️
Sources
Department of Student Engagement. (n.d.). Delegation. Brandeis University. https://www.brandeis.edu/student-engagement/student-organizations/leadership/delegation.html Brandeis University
York University. (2024, November 18). Event planning: Everything you need to know. YU Connect. https://yuconnect.yorku.ca/SOOE/blog/event-planning-everything-you-need-to-know-/7612/
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