A Strange Matter cinnamon roll and a small crystal might not seem like much, but in the case of the Rock and Roll Giveaway event hosted by the University Activities Board on Sep. 9, they helped give students a good start to their day by connecting them with the MSU community. Third-year student Brianne Malin grew interested when she saw the advertisement on the UAB’s Instagram page for a free pastry.
“I saw the Instagram post, and I like cinnamon rolls and breakfast,” Malin said. “So I knew it [would be] a good time.”
This is the first year the UAB has hosted the Rock & Roll Giveaway event. Senior UAB Chairperson Emma Bluntzer explained how these specific giveaway events are meant to help students have a good start to their week by filling it with good energy.
“All of our coordinators put on giveaway days, which focus on doing something fun for the students on campus,” Bluntzer said.
Though these small events might seem simple, they do give students opportunities to connect with the campus and fellow Spartans.
Sophomore Calleigh McMilan also saw this event on Instagram and, intrigued mainly by the snacks and crystals, sent it to sophomore Nina Gunel, suggesting they go together. The two regularly attend many of the UAB events.
“I would say go to them all because there's no catch,” McMilan said. “You literally just get free stuff and fun activities.”
The free treats often attract attention from students, but the community and the social interactions are what these events are meant to bring. These pop-up events are seen to benefit underclassmen. Malin recalled the first time she went to a UAB pop-up.
“My first week, freshman year, one of my friends dragged me to one of these [UAB events],” Malin said. “We just started talking to the people around us and then got their Instagrams.”
