Students will be able to affordably experience Broadway’s re-creation of "King Kong” with the Student Organization’s help March 2. This is the most recent addition to the series of bus trips to New York City organized and sponsored by the Student Organization.
Past Student Organization bus trips have allowed students to see “Wicked,” “Aladdin” and the Kean Gospel Choir's performance at Radio City Music Hall's “Christmas Spectacular.” According to Carli Hench, the managing assistant director of the Office of Student Government, this “King Kong” bus trip, as well as all the others, was organized to give students the means to attend certain events that aren’t always widely accessible.
“We do bus trips to popular destinations, whether it be Broadway shows or athletic events. Essentially what a bus trip event is always geared to is exposing students to a cultural experience that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to,” Hench said.
Because attending Broadway shows can be hard to afford, especially for students, the Student Organization took action to find a way for Kean’s student body to frequent these types of events without breaking the bank.
“Typically, one of the top reasons for students not having access to the types of experiences that we go to is because of the cost, and that’s why I would purchase the tickets in bulk and then we offer them to the students at a nominal fee,” Hench said.
While the tickets for “King Kong” have already sold out, students can still look to attend other upcoming bus trips courtesy of the Student Organization’s efforts. Tickets for “The Lion King,” taking place March 30, will be going on sale Feb. 28 at the Wilkins Theatre box office. One ticket will be sold per Kean ID for $15, and students must bring a completed Student Activity Participant Agreement (SAPA) to submit when making the purchase. This form can be found on the Student Organization’s Cougar Link page under the “Documents” heading.
These trips can typically accommodate around 50 students at a time, and they always sell out. Students are urged to take advantage of opportunities such as these, as part of the funding for them is actually obtained from tuition payments.
“All students have to pay some sort of Student Government fee, and a large portion of that Student Government fee goes toward programs. So, if students don’t attend programs, whether it be on or off campus, they’re basically not utilizing the money that they’re paying toward the fee,” Hench said. “By having these built-in fees in your tuition system, we’re able to then negotiate discounted rates, send groups and save money in the long run.”
For more information on the Student Organization and its upcoming events, student should visit its page on Cougar Link.
