On Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 9 a.m., tickets for the SPB-sponsored New York City trip went on sale at the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development service window in the basement of the Oakland Center.

Tickets cost $275 and will cover both transportation to New York City and lodging fees. They were in high demand due to the affordable price.

People brought tents and camped outside of the OC in anticipation. Tickets went fast and were almost gone by the end of the day. They sold out the next morning.

As of right now, the CSA has a waiting list for tickets. Space on the trip is limited, as only two buses are scheduled to depart from OU and hotel space is limited.

The Student Program Board is an on-campus organization with the goal of enhancing student life. They offer both on-  and off-campus events.

Some of their past trips include the Chicago trip in April 2016, the Red Wings trip in March 2016, the Disney World trip over last year’s winter break and the Washington DC trip in fall 2015.

According to the SPB, the buses are scheduled to depart to NYC on Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. Students will be staying at the Hilton Inn Suites in Times Square. Buses will return to OU on Nov. 6 at 10 p.m.

A room in the Hilton Hotel can cost as much as $427 for three nights. A round trip to New York from Michigan using Amtrak transportation can cost anywhere from from $106-359. Greyhound buses cost half as much as Amtrak, but can take as long as 16 hours to get from Michigan to New York.

In comparison, $275 for a round trip and lodging is incredibly low. These SPB trips are a chance for students on limited budgets to leave Michigan and take meaningful trips around the country.

If students weren’t able to purchase a ticket for the trip, there will be plenty of other SPB events throughout the year. Ticket dates for SPB events are announced online, typically at least a month before the trips.

Keep up-to-date on upcoming SPB events by visiting and liking the Student Program Board of Oakland University on Facebook or by visiting the organizations page on GrizzOrgs.

Upcoming SPB events this month include:

Bubble Soccer on Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.

Drive-in Movie Double Feature on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

Wheelchair Basketball on Oct. 17 at 4 p.m.

Hoedown on Oct. 21 at 5 p.m.

For questions related to the SPB, contact them at [email protected] or (248) 370-4295. For more information on joining the NYC trip waiting list, contact the CSA at (248) 370-2400.