The Art Department’s Empty Bowl project is a good model for other departments to follow. The Empty Bowl project allows students to raise money for the Statesboro Food Bank in a way that showcases what the department does on a day-to-day basis. Not only does the project raise money, but also it can potentially pique a student’s interest to join that department as a major, minor or even an elective class.

The program is successful not only because of the fun nature of the event, but because of the effective advertising and marketing of the project. Too often, great events put on by departments and student organizations are not successful due to lack of participation. Simple advertising can change the number of people who know about and want to participate in the event.

However, the Empty Bowl project can be even more successful in the future by expanding the number of dates and times students can come in and make bowls. With the way that schedules work at Georgia Southern University, hosting the event at the same time on Monday and Wednesday potentially prevents more students from attending than having the event on a Monday and Tuesday.

The Empty Bowl project sets the standard high for programs put on by the departments at GSU. Other departments should strive to create programs that can be as successful and helpful to the community as the Empty Bowl project.