Long known as a “suitcase school,” Neumann University is changing its weekend vibe.
Students and departments can get up to $150 in funding through the new Knight Life program to organize weekend events, such as poetry evenings or pajama parties, that make staying on campus more exciting than leaving.
Launched this semester, the project is promoting Thursday through Sunday programming throughout campus, contributing to the development of a more active and engaged student body.
“We want to make sure that we are creating program nights and weekend programming for the Neumann Knights,” said Associate Dean of Students Anthony Taylor. He explained that the goal goes beyond fun, aiming to teach students valuable skills in budgeting, management, and event planning.
According to Taylor, student demand led to the creation of Knight Life. He said the program was truly student-led and designed to meet what students were asking for.
The Knight Programming Board (KPB), one of Neumann’s 40 student programs, is in charge of event planning. However, they needed extra support. Taylor said the idea came from expanding beyond just student clubs. “The library does great things,” he said. “How can we drive traffic to the library and collaborate where they might not have the funding—but we have money where we can do that?”
Rather than creating competition between events, Knight Life encourages variety. “We don’t want to counter program,” Taylor said. “But we also recognize that the student experience isn’t monolithic.”
Taylor described the program as part of a larger strategy to strengthen Neumann’s community. “We really do want people to not feel that they need to go to either another school for a great event—or to go into the city,” he said. “We want to make your college experience really great, right here.”
Student Activities is leading the initiative. Taylor said it comes out of Jaqualline Marciano’s office, with graduate assistant Quron White serving as chair.
To make participation easier, they plan to add a suggestion box for students and departments to propose events. Taylor said the goal is to make sure everyone feels involved in shaping campus life.
As Knight Life continues to grow, Taylor believes it’s already helping bring the community together. “Now, instead of having competing events, everybody in the school community really gets to get in on that,” he said. “And I think it’s just going to be so dope for our campus community.”
