On Thursday, Nov. 12, APU Two presented its rendition of the popular late-night television series “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in UTCC.
APU Two is an on-campus organization founded in the fall of 2014. Its members strive to serve sophomores in any way they can, whether by connecting them to groups and departments on campus or creating events to help them relax.
The event included games and activities featuring participants from the audience, as well as members from the Student Government Association (SGA). A live band played throughout the evening, imitating Fallon’s show. APU alumnus and program coordinator of APU Two and Office of Orientation and Transitions officer Drew Brown hosted.
“The event was so much fun, and it was definitely a stress reliever, which was great because I’m hitting the ‘sophomore slump’ right now,” sophomore psychology major Rachel McMenamin said. “I missed having events just for us. Freshman year just had a great sense of community, and there were always events to go to with the hall or Alpha groups. Sophomore year has made it a lot harder to see everyone.”
McMenamin explained that the event was a nice reminder that the APU Two organization still cares about sophomores having a fun experience.
Sophomore attendee psychology major Raylin Cline had the chance to help with a portion of the event.
“I loved the event; I thought it was super fun, and something that got us away from the craziness of school,” Cline said. “Sometimes I forget that the other sophomores are going through the ‘sophomore slump’ as well. I just automatically assume that it’s just me.”
Drew Brown explained that sophomores are often overlooked, which is why the organization is dedicated to providing fun and resourceful events for the students. Coming off of the usually exciting freshman year, sophomores experience more of a shift toward really adjusting to college life in terms of school and friend circles. This shift leaves a lot of second-year students feeling overwhelmed, causing the sophomore slump.
“I am really passionate about making people feel welcome,” Brown continued. “I want them to feel worthy of excellence and worthy of love.”
Brown also revealed the inspiration behind hosting the “APU Tonight Show.”
“I feel like a lot of today’s comedy is super raunchy, and I think humor can be so funny and also clean,” Brown said, reflecting on television talk shows. “I thought for APU Two, what better way than to have people [meet the] different people I work with, but also have a really good time? Sophomores get enough seriousness in their daily life, and that’s all good and well, but I really wanted to give them a chance to just relax, celebrate and laugh.”
According to Brown, APU Two exists for students.
The organization’s goal is to do big events while also having one-on-one conversations with students. Brown explained that there are many departments on campus that have so much to offer, yet students are unaware of that.
He hopes to bring light to these departments and assist students in getting connected with them.
Although they are still in the drafting stage, APU Two has more events planned for the next semester, such as another “Tonight Show.”
Brown urges students who have event ideas to come into the office and brainstorm with them.
“I want sophomores to know that they deserve excellence,” said Brown. “They deserve the best, and an awesome experience. Sophomore year is a year to embrace and thrive in.”
APU Two has already put on a movie night and a fair where sophomores can go and get connected with different offices on campus. The program is planning to put on more events as the year goes on.
“We want to get to know them and support them,” Brown continued. “Sometimes the struggle is real, and we don’t want to ignore that. We want them to know that when there’s struggle—and when there’s good things—we want to be there for both.”