Students Lead Bentley Spring Day Festivities
The skies were overcast, but that didn’t dampen the mood as thousands of Bentley students gathered for Spring Day, a popular annual end-of-semester event held each year the weekend before spring finals and planned by students. The crowd — many of whom had already enjoyed free food and activities on campus including air-brush painting, inflatable wipeout, axe-throwing and archery — ended the day on their feet as rapper Aminé took the stage in the Bentley Arena.
Known for his bright smile and the positive energy he brings to his performances, Aminé hyped up the crowd with a set of alternative R&B-style hip-hop music including fan favorites like his 2016 debut single “Caroline.” Students sang along to lyrics from hits like “Spice Girl” and “Heebiejeebies.”
Throughout the performance Aminé maintained a strong connection with students, shouting, “You’re beautiful,” and prompting their response, “I know!” The set included the song “4Eva” — a collaboration with Aminé and Kaytranada featuring Pharrell Williams — which dropped on April 7, 2023, from the album “Kaytraminé,” set to be released on May 19. He closed with “Reel It In.”
Spring Day is a student-led event organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) current and incoming e-board members under the leadership of the board of directors and production chairs Mia Aczon ’25 and Yasmin Zuibi ’25. During planning, the team frequently meets with CAB adviser Michelle Frizzell, program coordinator in the Student Programs and Engagement (SP&E) department, who assists with behind-the-scenes work like contract creation and event facilitation. This year, CAB president Rachel Donnellan ’23 successfully worked with other members of the board to kick off festivities a few days earlier with food trucks and activities for the university’s first Spring Week.
Video by Kevin Maguire
“Serving on the campus activities board is a unique way to foster belonging on our campus for the entire Bentley community, and Spring Day is an example of that on the largest scale,” Donnellan says, noting that CAB members volunteered significant amounts of their time, creative thinking, leadership and efforts in collaboration SP&E student employees. A prime example: Katie Nice ’24, who designed the “Camp Bentley” event logo and promotional materials.
“It is a day for Bentley students to come together and celebrate the end of the year as a community,” Donnellan continues. “Being a programmer for something like Spring Day has given us a platform and a responsibility to make the student experience enjoyable not only for our peers but also ourselves.”
Photos by Ryan DeSantis ’26
