LAURA CHAMP
News Writer

Wandering through the Arts Building, you may have noticed stacked cans and a crowd in early December, or clothes and a crowd in February. The Learning Communities at the University Learning Centre were behind the antics.

The ULC works hard to enhance the undergraduate experience of University of Saskatchewan students.

Starting in 2007, the ULC began offering a Learning Communities program. The program, which relies on the work of student volunteers, brings together first year students in term one who share a common set of two or three classes. During term two, the program is interest-based and open to all undergrads.

Megan Marcoux, a Learning Communities coordinator at the ULC, explained that the idea of giving back to the community is central to the Learning Community program.

“We want to provide opportunities for students to get involved in their campus, local and global communities,” she said.

To further this goal, participants in the Learning Community program have developed a unique way to raise money for two important charities: the food bank and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

A “flash mob” is a sudden gathering by a group in a public place, during which time the group performs an unusual act and quickly disperses.

Based on this concept, Learning Communities communication coordinator Brea Lowenberger and PALs Jared Kroeger and Ashley Sproat developed THAT Just Happened, a series of fundraising events on campus.

Marcoux explained that the events organized by THAT Just Happened are more purposeful than your everyday flash mob.

“We took the idea from flash mobs and altered it a bit. It’s kind of the same idea but with more organization and a specific goal or outcome,” she said.

The first flash mob-esque event organized by THAT Just Happened was “Flash Mob Thursday —1 minute, 1 can of food!” The event took place between classes at the bottom of the Arts Building ramp on Dec. 2 and was well-received. Students were urged to mass-invite friends, peers and colleagues via Facebook, email and text.

Sleepily wandering the halls between classes, many students likely wondered what was going on, as those participating in the events were encouraged to do so with panache. Students were encouraged on the Facebook event page to “Walk and drop your can with a little dance move, a flourish, or just a big smile and keep on truckin’.”

The second event, “The Heart of Fashion Friday — 1 minute, 1 clothing donation” took place on Feb. 18, outside of Arts 146. Because it took place the last Friday before reading week, attendance was slightly down.

However, Marcoux says the event “was really fun. We had music playing, the red carpet rolled out. People modeled the donated clothing — it was basically a ”˜community-building, awareness-raising’ dance party in the middle of Arts.”

Marcoux says that while there are no immediate plans for another THAT Just Happened event, the goal is to have one event per term in the future, organized and executed by the PALs.

Within the smaller learning communities, students have the opportunity to learn from peer mentors and receive support from professors, alumni and the ULC, while also contributing to the greater good.

Anyone interested in becoming a PAL for Learning Communities or other ULC programs should click here or see the LC website at usask.ca/lc.