Urban Underground: Area 312 was produced by students in the Events Management class, taught by Kari Sommers during the Fall Semester on December 10th. This year’s focus was on fundraising for Columbia Cares, a charity that supports CCC students in emergency situations.

The event, held on Thursday, December 10, at the Conaway Center, was a success in many ways. There were approximately 260 people in attendance to to experience this multifaceted artistic experience. There was an interesting and diverse line up including Human Bloom (funk/R&B band), DJs CAVEMAN and Sworn Enemies, whose beats inspired the energetic Flow Jam Session by three hula hoop dancers. The artistic musical environment was conducive for other art forms as well. Three artists painted beautiful canvases while the music was playing and the paintings were raffled off at the end of the event.

The event included partnerships with other student organizations. ISO (International Student Organization), ABBA (Art of Business/Business of Art), and CCC classes, such as the Theatre Lighting class and the Makeup class were partners. Frequency TV and The Columbia Chronicle, school media outlets, sponsored the event.

Furthermore, cash sponsorship and in-kind items from external companies included: Dimo’s Pizza, Metro, Jimmy Green’s, Jewel Osco, Bloodshot Records, NPM Chicago, and Toasty Cheesy.

Events Management student Adriana Prieto-Rodriguez shared her thoughts about the turn out.

“The event was successful and the whole class was satisfied with it. We put a lot of effort into it and in the end everything was worthwhile. Also, we believe that a big part of the event’s success was all the help we received from other school’s departments and external companies. This was a great example of effective teamwork and partnership within the Columbia community. I am personally proud of the Urban Underground brand we created. We were very comprehensive with all the visual and marketing materials (logo, poster, website, social media, etc.). We are leaving a brand legacy to the next class!”

You can view more pictures and event information on the Urban Underground website, created by students also in the graduate New Media Strategies class, and Facebook page.

Photo Credit: Santiago Covarrubias