Approximately one year after its formation, URI Events sets an example for all students that any obstacle can be overcome with the right combination of determination and drive.
Created as a media-focused organization that helps students to discover events going on each day around campus at the University of Rhode Island, Sabrina Araujo, president and founder of URI Events, explained how when she first started this organization, she was met with much resistance.
“I was told by plenty of people that I couldn’t do what I was doing,” Araujo said. “I came across a couple of organizations who were against URI Events and I just didn’t give up. I kept doing what I was doing and I didn’t let anyone get to me.” Araujo explained that URI Events is an organization she created to help benefit URI and its students.
“In less than two months I already had 2000 followers,” she said. “So it was really something that this campus needed.”Luckily for Araujo, eventually all those against her finally saw the added benefit that URI events brought to campus.
“I had a lot of people try and shut URI Events down, but now I actually have the ‘okay’ and the support from the university itself,” Araujo said.
Araujo works with a lot of local businesses, most substantial of which is her partnership with the campus store. Throughout the year, URI Events holds giveaways with T-shirts, mugs and other Rhody-spirited items.
The organization is very focused on spreading Rhody spirit throughout the campus, as well as helping URI to maintain its community atmosphere.
“I think it’s really big for you to like [your] school and for you to be into the things that happen here, because then you start to realize everyone and everything that happens here,” Araujo said. “We’re a family and that’s the vibe that I want to pass on to everyone.”
Though URI Events promotes many of the larger events on campus, members also focus a lot of their time on the smaller events happening around campus. Other organizations promote events on or around campus, but Araujo felt that there was no main account that promoted all events, from 5Ks to donuts in the Memorial Union.
“I started it because I wanted to be able to know everything that was happening on campus,” Araujo said.
While promoting all the events on campus is the main objective of URI Events, Araujo said it is not the only thing she and the organization are working towards.
“My ultimate goal is to create a conference, a media focused conference, that… teaches the creative community of URI about all things media and digital market related,” Araujo said.
Araujo hopes to create a platform where students interested in digital marketing, photography, videography, public relations and anything else media-related can practice their skills to better benefit their campus community.
Right now, URI Events has over 4,000 followers on Instagram and is continuing to grow each day. They are currently going through the process of becoming recognized by Student Senate, making them a true club on campus. With 15 members to the staff right now, Araujo aspires to increase their numbers in order to ensure that both her legacy and the club continue long after she has left campus.
URI Events meetings are held every other week on Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union. Right now, these meetings are located in the Student Senate chambers and are open to all who want to join the club.