On Wednesday morning, the University Student Union (USU) kickstarted their calendar of Matador community events with Matafest. As students entered the center with red, sweaty faces, sighs of relief were heard once they felt the breeze of the air conditioning.
Due to extreme weather conditions, Matafest was held inside the USU Northridge Center.
The event included a variety of resources and activities for Matadors to explore. Students were also given free food, beverages and popsicles.
Computer engineering student Yoelmi Garcia said getting the popsicles helped with the extreme heat.
Located to the right-hand side of the center, were resource tables, games, a photobooth and a postcard craft table.
“Matafest is a welcome to the USU, so we want to let the students know that we have resources here on campus within the USU that aren’t directly tied to the administration or campus,” Micha Hughes said.
According to Hughes, event assistants are assigned to USU events through a lottery system. Despite recently becoming a student event assistant for USU Programs, she wanted to take on Matafest.
Resource tables such as the Oasis Wellness Center, the Student Recreation Center, the Career Center and others were tabling with informational pamphlets. Students were encouraged to interact with the booths through a ticket-searching game. The tickets acquired by students were a way for them to play the carnival games.
“We have so many free things and I think they don’t realize that they are paying for these events in their tuition,” she said.
Hughes emphasized that the USU is all about inclusion and encouraged students to attend events funded through their tuition. She expressed that students are missing out on the fun, free food and community.
“Whether you are a veteran on campus, an undocumented student or a student part of the LGBTQIA community, we have somewhere for everyone here,” Hughes said.
However, Khinna Die, an environmental and occupational health grad student, had a different experience.
“To be honest, today wasn’t that exciting,” Die said. “Most of the time it is very crowded.”
Die said that the turnout was less compared to last year, primarily due to the weather and change in location.
Nandar Wei, a health administration undergrad, appreciated the showcase of diverse performers from the previous year, such as Asian and Latinx groups. She also gave her props to the indoor DJ for playing trendy music.
“The music is really [a] vibe and they can do all trend[y] music,” Wei said.
Hughes wished for students to know that the events coordinated by the USU are intentional and serve a purpose.
“We wanted to give back to students,” Hughes said. “ This [event] might be someone’s only meal, so we have free food. It’s hot outside, so we made sure to plan for popsicles and ice cold drinks.”
The next event that will be held by the USU is Matador Nights on Sept.18 at 7 p.m. ,where there will be live entertainment, carnival rides, a roller rink and laser tag.
For more information and resources, visit the USU website.
