On campus organization changes board name

Formerly known Tech Activities Board went through a revamp this summer to become Student Activities Board.

The University Center Programming Board began in 1953 and was a student-run organization. The board changed in 2006 to Tech Activities Board, which lasted for 11 years until Student Activities Board was put into place over the summer.

According to the Student Union & Activities website, the organization plans over 60 free events for Texas Tech students.

Hector Aguirre, a senior landscape architecture major, stood as TAB President during the 2016-2017 school year. He said the spring prior to him becoming president the question was brought up about change. Aguirre said he had ideas that would make for a better organization, and he thought it was a good opportunity to start that change.

“I was just glad that I could get something started,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said he was part of planning the revamp committee. He said the committee was made up of seven TAB members that looked at evaluations from past events and discussed the feedback from students.

Claire Maginness, the associate director of Student Union & Activities, said that they started to realize that people did not know what TAB stood for or necessarily what they did. She said through feedback, they found out that students wanted better quality events over the quantity of events.

Maginness said they decided on a new name and logo to tie back to their department, Student Union & Activities, that sponsors the board.

“This semester is going to be a semester of change,” Maginness said.

She said they are constantly asking students for feedback on events. Maginness said she asks that students be flexible with SAB during this change because nothing is set in stone right now.

Maginness said she has noticed the members of SAB have better attitudes, a lot of energy, and are passionate about all the changes.

She said the board just accepted new members for the school year. With around 40 applicants, she said SAB accepted 18 of those. She said it was one of the biggest groups to ever apply to join the organization with the smallest number of openings they had available.

Johnny Morales, a senior public relations major, is the first president of SAB. He said TAB was becoming very stagnant, and the events were staying the same.

“We had a lot of area for growth,” Morales said.

He said that with the change, they wanted to increase the amount of students that came out to the events. As well, he said the board wanted to make SAB something the members wanted to be a part of. Morales said everything they do internally is going to reflect externally.

Morales said they finalized the name change and the differences in the organization in May. Over the summer, he said it was a big transition period because they had to show incoming freshman at orientation what they were and what they were going to be.

Morales said he wants it to be a goal of the board to make continuous change and always grow as an organization.

He said SAB includes committees that oversee and host events of different areas to interest every student at Tech: Night Life, Daytime, Outreach, Off Campus, and Spirits and Traditions.

“Our mission is to enhance every student’s individual experience at Texas Tech,” Morales said.

On the web:

Student Activities Board website –

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/sub/Activities/