Angel Long: Helping Students Bring the Best to Babson
Angel Long brings a wealth of experience in student activities to her many roles at Babson coordinating campus-wide events and managing student-run programs. She is advisor for the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and Senior Class Committee, and she also manages the Reynolds Campus Center and the Biz E. Beaver mascot team.
Long, who has a bachelor’s degree from Framingham State University and a master’s in education degree from Salem State University, has been involved with programming boards since she herself was a student. During her nearly eight-year tenure at Babson, she has seen many changes in programming: from the “foam parties” and monthly themed dances at Knight Hall years ago to the virtual grab-and-goes of the COVID-19 era. Through it all, she has strived to maintain a sense of community and fun.
The Q&A
How do you keep 2,100 undergrads engaged and connected?
“I’ve been at Babson for 7 1/2 years, advising the Campus Activities Board, the social programming board for undergraduate students, which has the largest programming budget of student-led clubs and organizations. CAB is truly student run. They come up with different event ideas, they purchase their supplies, they manage their budget, they execute their events, they dictate structures and processes, and more. My role as their advisor is to help them think big. Event planning should be fun, and I encourage them to utilize their senses when event planning and reflect on the best event they’ve ever attended, whether it was a birthday party, prom, or wedding. What made that event special? What food was served? What did the space look like when they walked into it? What music was playing? What was the overall vibe of the event? Take all of those pieces and put that into your programs. Once they make a decision, I work with them to administratively ensure the event can legally and safely happen.
“I also help ensure equity in their programs. Are we hosting events on dates / locations that people don’t have class? How do we target different audiences? This March, we hosted CountryFest, where we had a mechanical bull, BBQ food, DIY cowboy hats, and country music. CAB has also hosted online bingo, trivia, a couple of book club events, and even Jonathan Van Ness from ‘Queer Eye‘ in a virtual setting.”
How did programming change over the past two years during the pandemic?
“I didn’t have any expectation that CAB would continue programming (when the pandemic hit in March 2020), especially virtual programming, which, at that time, we had never done before. I was so pleasantly surprised that they took the initiative to provide virtual programs for the remainder of the semester. CAB was so resilient and flexible and thought of new ways to engage the student population through grab-and-go programs, social media contests, virtual escape rooms. In some ways, the pandemic actually helped boost and expand programming. The students now are familiar with virtual and social media events. Pre-pandemic, on average, CAB hosted 50 events in an academic year. This year, they’re hosting 50 events a semester. That’s A LOT of programming for one seven-person executive board.”
What are some activities over the years that you have personally enjoyed?
“One of my favorite events is CAB’s Spring Concert. In 2019, we hosted Offset from Migos at the House of Blues in Boston. To be able to pull off a large-scale concert is always a success, and I thoroughly enjoy all the moving logistical parts of the day. As long as the students are having fun, that’s all that matters. I always tell CAB, the kitchen can be a disaster and super messy, but all the event attendees care about is how dinner is presented and tastes.”
You supervise the Biz E. Beaver mascot team. Is that fun?
“It’s so fun. The team is comprised of top-secret undergraduate students who keep their identities hidden until their senior year, when they reveal themselves to the larger Babson community. It’s fun knowing who Biz is at all times and hearing students speculate who they think is in the suit. In the past couple of years, we’ve teamed up with Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving to celebrate Biz’s birthday on April 15.”
Two More for Angel Long
What does Babson mean to you?
“Something I have always valued at Babson is the people and the relationships I have formed with students, campus partners, and alumni. I love seeing the growth and development of our students, from Orientation to Commencement, and helping them during their formative college years.”
Right now, what are you…
- Watching and listening to? “I’ve been re-watching some of my favorite shows from the 2000s, ‘The O.C.’ and ‘One Tree Hill,‘ and listening to the corresponding podcasts from stars and cast from those shows.”
- Reading? “I find it hard to read during the academic year but during the summer, I love borrowing the top books from Libby.”
- Doing in your free time? “I have two kids under 4, so there’s not much spare time, but, I’m a big live music fan and have a few concerts coming up this summer—Motion City Soundtrack at the House of Blues in Boston, and OneRepublic and Needtobreathe in Mansfield—that I’m excited about.”
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