Ohio University students in COMS 4050: Communication Strategy in Meetings and Event Planning encouraged Athens locals to feel like kids again through their recess event, offering ways for adults and kids alike to engage in play.
Recess was hosted at Jackie O’s Taproom on 25 Campbell St. Guests used both the indoor and outdoor spaces to hang out, and the area was decorated with Passion Works Studios puppets and art.
Guests of all ages were encouraged to interact with different stations. At these stations, attendees colored, wrote stories, completed activity worksheets, created art and took photos.
The activities were playful, as the COMS 4050 students encouraged every adult attendee to reminisce about their childhood memories. Jenna Smalley, a senior studying communications and a student in the class, organized the event and said the childlike theme was valuable.
“It's something that in our adult lives we don't tap into to reap the benefits of,” Smalley said. “It’s the nostalgia. It's tying back to all of the good things about childhood and just expressing yourself through art.”
The recess event was in the works for months, with planning beginning early in the semester. Candice Rios Wenmoth, professor of the course, guided her students through the process of creating an event from scratch.
“I wanted this (course) to really feel like a uniquely comms-oriented class,” she said. “The tactic that I’ve taken is that planning an event is like telling a good story.”
Students were responsible for creating the event’s theme and setting up activities, food, drinks, live entertainment and decorations. Courtney Rather, a senior studying animation, said organizing the event was difficult.
“The hardest part is coordinating all of the groups because we've split up into different groups that are all doing different things,” Rather said. “We have a marketing team, I’m on guest services (and) we have an entertainment vendors team.”
Despite the challenges, Rather said, the class taught valuable skills.
“A great lesson that Candice has taught us throughout the semester is that we can expect that something unexpected will happen and we can remain calm and keep rolling,” Rather said.
A new collaborative non-alcoholic beverage brought the event together. The “Passion Pops” beverage was crafted by Jackie O’s employees, and the label was created by Passion Works' artists.
“For quite a while we’ve been talking with Jackie O’s about the idea of a fizzy water or a non-alcoholic soda of some sort,” Patty Mitchell, director and founder of Passion Works, said. “This class had just been incredibly proactive.”
The Bobcats' goal was to create a non-alcoholic beverage that people of all ages can enjoy. The drink went through multiple test phases, from root beer to hop water, and ultimately landed on two fruity seltzers: pink lemonade and blueberry açai.
“It's been a journey to finally land on these sodas, but I think it came full circle, and I think it worked out exactly how it was supposed to,” Smalley said.
The event incorporated other forms of local collaboration. Rios Wenmoth said Snowville Creamery planned to create three special ice cream flavors for the event: buttermilk vanilla, vegetarian honey lemon sherbert and vegan strawberry basil.
Rios Wenmoth said 100% of the ice cream proceeds were donated directly to Passion Works.
Monetary and supply donations were also received by Cutler’s Restaurant and Bunch of Grapes Tavern, the Barbara Gerald's Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact, and OU fraternities, Beta Theta Pi and Alpha Epsilon Pi.
“It has been a full community effort,” Rios Wenmoth said. “People have shown up in a really meaningful way.”
Rios Wenmoth said her COMS 4050 course is also hosting two live storytelling events at Donkey Coffee on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5.
