After planning a variety of school-wide events during her time at Yale, Megan Ruan ’17 said, if elected as the Yale College Council’s events director, she would take Yalies beyond tradition and their comfort zone.

Ruan envisions hosting new, outside-of-the-box events, such as “Hoedown Throwdown” at the Yale Farm and “Midnight Brunch” in Commons.

“We have to remember that there is a new wave of students coming in every year with different interests,” she said. “I have a good gauge of how new events will be received by talking to as many people as possible and casting a wide network.”

Previously, Ruan has served on both the Freshman and Sophomore Class Councils, and is currently the deputy events director of the YCC. She said her experience in organizing events, such as last year’s Freshman Screw, has given her the know-how to complement her vision.

She also hopes to improve communications between organizers and students by utilizing innovative marketing techniques. For example, she helped publicize the sophomore winter formal by creating a Facebook account, SoCupid Crushes, that posted anonymous “crush” messages in the lead-up to the event.

A major role of the events director will be to organize the annual Spring Fling, a task Ruan said she is prepared to take on. She has worked on the Spring Fling Committee this year and will be this year’s crew manager on the day of the event.

Beyond her vision for future events, Ruan said she believes it is her experience and attention to detail that would make her suitable for the position. She added that many people do not realize the amount of behind-the-scene planning that goes into hosting each event. Lauren Sapienza ’18, who has worked with Ruan on the events committee and as Pierson representatives on the YCC, noted that she was a source of help and guidance as deputy events directorthis academic year.

“Megan has the unique capability to focus on the details while keeping a perspective on the big picture,” she said.

Sukriti Mohan ’17, who was on the FCC with Ruan, said she was particularly impressed with Ruan’s role in planning the Freshman Screw and the sophomore winter formal.

“Her ideas are novel, her approach fresh, and she always knows what her constituents are looking for in an event,” she said. “She has been so heavily involved with YCC’s Events Committee that she knows the group’s ins and outs in a way I don’t think many others do.”

Ruan is also a Master’s Aide for Pierson College.