02/17/2015
Casey Kelly
Lead News Writer
C.E.Kelly2@iup.edu

The Entertainment Network and the Black Emphasis Committee will be collaborating on several upcoming events this semester.

The events that TEN and BEC have planned for this semester include hip-hop artist August Alsina, MTV’s “Wild ’N Out,” MTV’s “Girl Code,” “Workaholics: The Montez Experience” with Erik Griffin, a Pittsburgh Pirates game and a Pittsburgh Penguins game.

“This semester,” said Ashley Hartung (senior, journalism), TEN executive chair and contemporary chair, “we are heavily reliant on entertainment events to handle the budget a little bit better and to give more variety to what we’re bringing to campus.”

TEN and BEC collaborated on all of the events aside from the sporting-game bus trips, which are hosted solely by TEN. The March 20 Penguins game costs $40 with an I-Card and will include the game ticket and transportation.

The bus will leave the Hadley Union Building parking lot at 4:30 p.m.

The Pirates vs. Brewers game April 18 costs $20 with an I-Card and includes the ticket, bus ride and a $5 concession-stand credit. The bus will leave at 3 p.m.

Aysia Pierce (senior, management), BEC executive chair, and Sam Barker, TEN and BEC co-adviser, said the organizations decided it would benefit both parties to work closely together this semester.

“We already have worked together a lot in the past,” Pierce said, “and it works out better for both of our programs to collaborate. Our audiences tend to like a lot of the same programming, so we thought it would be beneficial to collaborate on more events this semester.”

The nearest event – a game show titled “Are You Smarter than a Senior?” – will take place Feb. 24 and include questions relating to Black History Month. Prizes will include gift cards and raffle baskets.

This year, BEC Weekend will take place Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26.

August Alsina will perform April 23 at 8 p.m. in the HUB Ohio Room, and the doors will open at 7 p.m. The event costs $5 with an I-Card and $10 to the public.

Friday, April 24, will feature MTV’s “Wild ’N Out” in the HUB Ohio Room and will also cost $5 with an I-Card and $10 to the public.

The event time and lineup have not yet been released by TEN or BEC.

On the Saturday of BEC Weekend, the club will hold its second Win or Lose Dance Competition.

Dance teams from schools such as the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Temple University will compete against an Indiana University of Pennsylvania team, and the winner will receive a trophy.

To see which IUP team will compete during BEC weekend, the preliminary competition for the IUP teams will take place March 28.

To wrap BEC Weekend up Sunday, April 26, BEC will sponsor a free cookout open to the public.

TEN and BEC also have executive board positions opening up next year.

TEN’s available positions for next year are the contemporary entertainment chair, technology chair and advertising chair. Applications are due Feb. 25.

BEC will be in need of an entirely new executive board, which includes executive chair, vice executive chair, social events chair, graphics chair, publicity chair and educational chair.

Applications are due Feb. 27.

“It’s important that students come out and get involved with [TEN and BEC],” Barker said, “because the students pick the programs. Zach [Clark, TEN and BEC co-adviser] and I work the budget numbers, but the idea is that the lead spark comes from the students.”

TEN and BEC will have a promotional table at the IUP vs. Slippery Rock basketball game Wednesday to answer any questions about the organizations, their executive positions or upcoming events.