The yearly event that brings CapU to life.
Sheila Arellano // News Editor.
You could feel the energy in the air as the CapU campus was transformed on Sept. 19 into a vivid venue with music, food, dancing and games. This Fall, Student Vice President Paula Zerpa continued the two-year tradition of hosting Captivate on campus. “Captivate is a free event that is open and accessible to all members of the campus community,” Zerpa said. This year, the event enriched the Capilano community by including live music, food trucks, giant beer pong, Jenga games and a selfie tent, which brought this yearly event to life.
“When I first applied for this position, my main idea was to focus on mental health. My concept was to strengthen mental health awareness. Captivate is one of the parties Yats Palat promoted, he did it for two years and this is the third year the event was held,” explained Zerpa. This year, students had access to a wider range of resources during Captivate that inspired them to feel at home. Tents featuring services such as Translink, Evo, Studentcare and the Capilano Students Union were set up for students to ask questions or sign up for special events. “The theme of this year was bright colours. And I focused on an open concept, I wanted people to feel welcomed and free. I wished for people to feel at home,” Zerpa shared.
Last year, the CSU went over their budget so this year they have been strategic with their spending. The event’s $21,000 budget comes from a fund that is collected specifically to help foster community on campus, including paying for student events. “We wanted to keep it on budget or lower. We appreciate students’ money so much because, with it, we can organize other beneficial events and offer awesome resources,” Zerpa commented. She highlighted the importance of the smaller activities that will unfold during the semester. “If I can lower the cost of big events, I can have more events that will give you important tools for the future. Like meditation, time management, and many other tools, because no one teaches us that and it is so important. But it is never too late to learn,” she said.
A different concept was implemented this year with the addition of live music. “I am a fan of live music. This year what I tried to do was to transition between live music and DJs and create a balance between the two,” Zerpa said. The live music offered Capilano students the opportunity to make connections with other faculties with the hope that they collaborate in the future. “What I tried to do through live music was to bring the jazz program forward and to build collaborations between departments. So, this year I wanted to create connections. All the faculties have the possibility to be intertwined,” Zerpa noted. The artists and DJs inspired the crowd to dance and relax. A bar was also set up so students could enjoy a beer while getting to know new people. “I got a great feeling from Captivate this year,” said Capilano student Oscar Blue.
Captivate brought the Capilano community together and ignited livelihood on campus. “This event was meant to create connections and unify communities,” Zerpa commented. As previous years had done, this year’s Captivate sparked fun while highlighting the importance of enjoying student life. It also reminded students about the power of starting the semester with a positive mindset. With its “bright colours” theme, Captivate brought happiness to the surface and created an environment where students felt welcomed. “It’s the beginning of the semester and you have to be encouraged enough. That’s what the whole concept is. It is all about positivism and connection,” Zerpa emphasized.