By Kaelyn Cunningham
On Friday, Sept. 4, Cal State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) hosted a build-your-own boba bar in the Tides Lounge at the Otter Express. This was a free event, hosted by Otter Kitchens as a part of their First Year Eats program.
This event allowed students the opportunity to interact with other students, Samantha Johnson, a first-year said, “I think I talked to more people that come in here, and I got to know the staff”.
Otter Kitchens promoted the event through social media posts and signage around campus. However, some students found it difficult to find the event. Lydia Moore, another first-year said, “I didn’t really know where it was, we kind of got confused about the whereabouts.”
Otter Kitchen staff members organize these events to encourage students to connect to campus and learn more about dining and food related events available to first year students.
Gabriel Reeves, an Otter Kitchens staff member said, “Otter Thursday is super fun, we have a fruitaria pop-up that I’ll be at every week. We feature agua frescas, hot entrees, and it’s a really good time.” Said Reeves.
“Also every other Friday there are First Year Eats [events] that we are planning. Check your online calendar to see which events are going to be specific.”
The event also saw increased student engagement, Reeves remarked that, “The engagement, the positivity, the energy has really gone up this semester and we love seeing everyone sign up.”