SpiderNights, formerly CA Alternatives, changes name to broaden audience

Every weekend students at the University of Richmond have the opportunity to attend a variety of fun, late-night events known as SpiderNights sponsored by cultural advisors of Common Ground.

SpiderNights, which is an innovation that came from students who were part of the first cohort of cultural advisors about six years ago, not only provides an array of events, such as outdoor movie night, game night and the most popular event, Coffeehouse Open Mic Night, but it also makes a space for people on campus who feel as if they don’t have an in to the social scene, said Bailey Little, student coordinator for SpiderNights.

The point of these different activities is to connect students who may feel a little out of the main stream, especially when he or she is new here, and are looking for fun and easy ways to get to know people, said Lisa Miles, associate director of Common Ground.

With similar activities and ideas planned for this year, there has been a variation to the program, such as a change from the original name, CA Alternatives, to SpiderNights.

The idea to change the name was brought up by students in hopes to help broaden the audience and reach out to more people, Little said.

“We don’t think of people who attend as those who don’t drink,” Miles said, “rather, we want to have options for people, which they can enjoy at anytime.” 

Students thought the name sounded too alternative to the social scene, and as a result Common Ground did a survey through OrgSync, where over 200 students voted and two-thirds supported a name change, Miles said. SpiderNights was the highest choice out of the six names offered and then cultural advisors agreed with the results, she said.

SpiderNights was meant for something that sounds as if "it’s just a nighttime thing to do" and everyone can check it out, Miles said.

On-campus events take place from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays and are always free, open to all students and include free food and sometimes prizes, according to information provided by SpiderNights. Once or twice a semester, the program tries to take students off-campus for activities such as Jumpology, laser tag or other attraction areas.

Last year, SpiderNights partnered with the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, and held an outdoor adventure where cultural advisors took students to Wintergreen Resort, a ski resort in Virginia,  where they paid a fee of 20 dollars for snow tubing, pizza and transportation, Miles said.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, SpiderNights hosted its first event on campus this semester known as Carnival Night and it was a complete success with about 300 students in attendance, Little said.

“I was amazed with everyone that came out, and there was a lot of diversity,” Little said. “You might think that only freshmen come to this event, but it was great to see juniors and seniors that made it their third or fourth Carnival Night.”

Although SpiderNights has had positive feedback and provides students with an energetic and entertaining space, the program is still working to attract even more people through advertising, Miles said.

“Common Ground should incorporate the advertising of SpiderNights onto our phones through email blasts,” said senior Abby Bond, “and specifically for that one event, the email should post the date, time, location, images and stuff.”

Cultural advisors publicize SpiderNights to students by posting events on the Facebook page every week, in addition to handing out paper flyers, posting on Instagram or using digital flyers on the TV screens and campus quad, Miles said. The program is also in the midst of recruiting a PR and social media specialist, she said.

The next SpiderNights event, UR Amazing Race, held from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 5, comprises a physical, yet fun event where students explore the campus in groups of four as they compete in challenges and contests ranging from brainteasers to puzzles, Miles said.

SpiderNights is a step in the right direction to getting this campus to be hopping with students’ ideas that seem cool and fun, said Glyn Hughes, director of Common Ground.

“It represents a vision of what is possible on this campus,” Hughes said, “and it is pushing our imagination of what is possible on a weekend.” 

Contact reporter Catherine McTiernan at catherine.mctiernan@richmond.edu.