by The Cowl Editor on September 29, 2022
Campus
On Sept. 18, Providence College celebrated Prova, hosted by BOP, with a fun carnival theme. There were a bunch of fun things to do scattered across Slavin Lawn, and great snacks to follow it up. Ice cream sandwiches, churros, and mini pancakes were available along with an assortment of carnival snacks like cotton candy and popcorn. There was even a mechanical bull for students to try their luck at!
As one of the first big events hosted by BOP this year, expectations were low. But due to disappointment at last year’s Prova, BOP felt pressure to amp up the event. Myles Johnson ’24, Chair of BOP’s Social Committee, said, “We had less of a turnout than expected last year, so this year I wanted to put an emphasis on Prova, because I wanted to get people there and build momentum as we create new events. On BOP, we have a lot of responsibility to make sure the campus is lively and energetic, and I hope Prova did that.”
BOP takes its first events of the year seriously because they are often the first experiences of student life on campus and the first impression ever for freshmen. Johnson said, “It’s one of those events we rely on a lot to introduce who we are as a board, so I think in my perspective it serves as our welcome to the PC community every year. It’s our first big event, it showcases what we do…A lot of freshmen are looking for their ‘at home’ moment, and I think that’s what I wanted Prova to be.”
One of the highlights of the event was the petting zoo area, which featured alpacas, bunnies, lambs, and goats. Students were able to play with the animals and feed them hay. The adorable animals were great for de-stressing students with those early semester jitters – there’s nothing more relaxing than chilling with a bunch of baby goats! It was a great way to kick off the semester and say goodbye to summer.
Another moment that generated excitement was the dog show, which featured a variety of cute pups showing off their best tricks while winning every student’s heart. The dogs performed a variety of stunts with the trainers, and students were impressed by their high energy and impressive skill. From obstacle courses to racing to frisbee-catching jumps, these dogs could do it all!
BOP also was selling Prova t-shirts at the event and there was a carnival game where one person could win a Squishmallow. There was a limited supply and they went fairly quickly, but it was still a fun game for students to partake in. One student from the Class of 2025 said, “It was a lot of fun! I love events that get everyone outside, especially when the weather is still nice out. The food was so delicious and really hit the spot. I went to bed feeling ready for the week to come.”
Another student from the Class of 2024 said, “I love the food trucks; it lets students who have meal plans have other kinds of food. It’s a real treat for the whole student body, and I think more events should have them! Seriously, I go to most events that have them.”
Overall, students were happy and BOP was pleased with how the event turned out. “It was great! Everything was really successful and a lot of people came, and the food was really good,” Johnson said. “We probably had around 500 people there, when in the past we probably had around 350. Slavin Lawn felt energetic.”