By: Margot Dragos
On Tuesday, Sept. 2, new and returning Brooklyn College (BC) students flooded the West Quad for BC Student Activities Involvement and Leadership Center’s (S.A.I.L.) and BC Undergraduate Student Government’s (USG) annual Welcome Bash.
Students were lined up from the West Quad Building all the way to the Bedford Avenue entrance as they waited for freebies, including pizza and a bulldog plushie.
“Usually the line is long, but this is the longest I’ve seen the line,” Aaron Jean Francois, a BC student and math major who has attended the two previous welcome bashes, told The Vanguard.
“What I enjoy most are the games as well as the free food,” Francois responded when asked about his favorite parts of the Welcome Bash. “I always love those.”
After checking in, students received a ticket that allowed them to collect their promised free items.
“I saw free food, free slushie, and a free bulldog, so I said, ‘Why not?’” explained Angie Euceda, a freshman majoring in business administration, when asked what made her want to come to the Welcome Bash. “I’m feeling excited to get a bulldog and free food.”
Outside of the West Quad Building was a table with materials for students to stuff their own bulldog plushie. Students would receive an unstuffed bulldog, a package of stuffing, and a shirt for their bulldog that said “Welcome to the Pack” with a graphic of the Brooklyn College Library above it.
“The students seem really excited to get a little free Brooklyn College merchandise,” said Khematie Rembharen, a senior pre-med student and USG senator volunteering at the build-a-bulldog table.
“Overall, people are excited. People are happy to be here. It’s the nice weather outside, it’s just amazing.”
There were also games such as cornhole and Connect 4 that encouraged students to socialize with one another. There was also a bingo card handed out to students that required them to find other students who matched different prompts on the card, such as someone pursuing a minor or someone who lives in Brooklyn.
“I think as a new student you want to meet more people who are like you,” Ariel Makovoz, sophomore and volunteer coordinator for the event, told The Vanguard. “So I think [the Welcome Bash] is good for that reason.”
“The whole purpose of this event is to bring the students together, and [show that] there are things happening on campus for you to be involved in,” said Rembharen when asked what she hopes students take away from the Welcome Bash.
When asked what went into making this event, Cyle Paul, senior and president of USG, said that it took “a lot of stress, a lot of coordination, and just making sure that there’s a need and a want for the items that we’ve provided.”
“We kind of wanted to create the idea of getting merch ‘cause we do know students have this need and this want to do merch,” Paul explained. “And we were like, hey, might as well just do this again, and the students loved it. They have the excitement of wanting to have this memorabilia in a sense.”
The Welcome Bash proved to be a perfect opportunity for students to socialize with one another and bond as classes began, while allowing them to get a unique BC mascot plushie in the process.
“Take this as a vibe to get friends, make friends, and just continuously want to be a part of the Brooklyn College family,” said Paul. “We are just so excited to be able to have this opportunity to give to you.”
To stay updated on USG events, visit their official Instagram.