For most of the week the University Student Union (USU) will be hosting the Matador Mall, an event that brings outside vendors on campus to sell various goods and services.
The Matador Mall began on Monday, April 12 and will last through Thursday April 15, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cleary Walk in front of Bayramian Hall.
“Basically it is like bringing a small version of a shopping mall right here to campus,” said Matthew Eickhoff, program coordinator for Training & Development at the USU who is in charge of the event.
The selling is done by vendors from around the Southern California area, Eickhoff said.
“Many of these vendors travel the college circuit, while some are from our local Northridge area and are trying to get the word out about their business,” he said.
The vendors sell a variety of items including jewelry, clothing, accessories, fragrances, collectibles and more.
Students can sign up for a Costco membership and leave with a gift basket at the Matador Mall.
According to Eickhoff, in order for vendors to participate in the event, each vendor pays a registration fee to participate. The funds are then used to supplement the different programs and events put on by the USU.
This is not the first time the Matador Mall has taken place at CSUN but it is the first semester it has been called by its new name.
“In past years, this event was known as the Vendor Fair and took place once per semester,” Eickhoff said. “Beginning with Spring 2010, we will be doing two malls per semester.”
Although the event is a fun and convenient way for students to shop, Eickhoff said the preparation is intricate and sometimes overwhelming.
“Our office recruits different vendors and businesses to come to the mall. After confirming a vendors attendance, there are several different forms we need from them, including their registration payment,” Eickhoff said. “Trying to coordinate all the different vendors and what paperwork has and has not come in for them is quite a big task but one that my student assistants do a great job overseeing. For the actual event, my staff and I show up at 6 a.m. to make sure all the vendors set up properly and follow all the rules.”
Antoinette Sandhu, 20, family and consumer science major, attended the mall and left the area with two new blouses and a pair of sunglasses.
“I was just walking to my car and the stores were on the way,” said the freshman. “I think it’s cool that they do things like this at CSUN. It’s a good thing I had my wallet on me because I am in dire need of new sunglasses and I got some where I least expected.”
Sophomore Bryan Kent, 24, did not leave the area with any shopping bags but still took the time to browse.
“A lot of the stuff, its kind of girly: the clothes, the purses, the jewelry,” said the health science major. “I started looking for myself but ended up seeing a lot of things my girlfriend would like.”
Eickhoff said students who would like to make suggestions for vendors they would like to see as part of a future Matador Mall should e-mail him at meickhoff@csun.edu.
