By Steven Erbacher
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the first time since the 1990s, the University of Arkansas hosted the annual ACUI (Association for College Unions International Region II Conference.
The yearly conference is a way for students and staff from student unions and centers to get together and share ideas on how to benefit their respective campus.
Breakout education sessions, campus tours and banquet dinners were all featured during the conference, which started Friday Oct. 25, and lasted through the Sunday Oct. 27.
Saturday, the members of the ACUI put together a service project for the Full Circle Food Pantry on campus. Through the pantry, the goal was to help kids in after-school programs.
“We try to incorporate an element of service either within the Regional Conference, or just in our day to day practice,” said Kristen Ernst, the associate director for student engagement at Rice University.
During the day Saturday, right outside of the Multicultural Center in the student union, the service project was set up for all conference goers to participate in.
As soon as it was time to start, people flooded the tables where there were water bottles and snacks for them to put into separate packs. It took all of 5 minutes for the tables to be cleared of all the supplies, and over 200 packs remained.
Emilie Hook is the associate director for the Arkansas union, and has been for over four years. She said she was taken aback by how much the visitors wanted to make an impact in northwest Arkansas.
“I think it’s amazing that those people from different campuses wanted to come and help our community,” she said.
Hook served as the Head Chair of the conference. As a former alum of the University of Arkansas, being able to host was quite the experience for her.
“It just means the world to me that I can share a little bit of Arkansas with all our friends from the region,” she said.
Ernst has been involved with ACUI for seven years. She says it was one of the best decisions of her career to join.
“It’s really been an amazing professional home,” she said. “It helped me be in a community. It’s a great way to share ideas and resources so that you always have someone you can pick up the phone and call.”
Ernst said that this was her second time ever at the U of A, and she says she’s very happy with how the weekend went.
“I can’t thank University of Arkansas enough for welcoming all of the conference attendees.”