Hot dogs and friendship: First-ever BBQuad
Utah State University Weeks of Welcome got a new event this year in the first annual BBQuad. On Sept. 3, BBQuad aimed to bring students together with food, games and opportunities to get involved. The event filled the Quad with music, lawn games and hundreds of students waiting in a line that wrapped around a quarter of the perimeter. Organizers said the outdoor gathering was meant to offer a fresh take on traditional welcome week activities, replacing past traditions of indoor comedy or magic shows with something more casual and social.
“I kind of was just thinking we should do something outside,” said Josie Packer, USUSA Student Events executive director, who organized the event. “We should maybe try to switch things up a bit and try something new because I think comedians and magicians are so much fun — I just think they are better during the winter.”
Students showed up in large numbers for free food, including 2,000 hot dogs catered from Sam’s Club, and Spikeball. The Student Alumni Association collaborated on the event by providing lemonade and additional lawn games.
“It’s such a chill, low-key event,” Packer said. “You could definitely show up by yourself and make friends. That’s also something that I appreciate in an event. You could hop in a game of Spikeball, or you could just get in line and talk to the people around you.”
Alongside the food and games, several student organizations set up booths offering information on how to get involved in campus life. Tables featured representatives from the Student Events Office, senators with their councils, Fraternity and Sorority Life and the SAA.
Brigham Hill, marketing director for the HURD, said he sees events like BBQuad as an important way to reach freshmen beyond social media.
“Yeah, I think it is definitely a good way to get freshmen involved, just like Day on the Quad or Festival on the Quad,” Hill said. “We are outside, and we are something other than social media. We are using advertising at games, so I think it is a great normal way to interact with people and get them to be a little bit more aware of what the HURD does.”
For many first-year students, the opening weeks of college are critical for building friendships and finding a sense of belonging. Packer said that perspective shaped her planning.
“At least when I was a freshman, I was really excited and really wanting to get involved, and I was kind of confused about how,” Packer said. “I think the first two weeks of school are so important for freshmen to learn how they can meet people, learn how they can get involved, because it makes the college experience so much better.”
According to Packer, the casual, open environment of the event made it easier for new students to strike up conversations, join games or simply enjoy a hot dog without feeling out of place.
The event also highlighted how student fees are used to support experiences that directly benefit students. Packer emphasized her commitment to making those funds matter.
“I am very passionate about using student fees in a way that benefits students the most,” she said. “And so, I feel like having this BBQuad event is a good way to directly give back to students using their student fees.”
Both Packer and Hill noted the event was about more than food and games. It was about creating an atmosphere where students, especially those just starting college, could find community.
Attendees of the BBQuad event grab free hot dogs on the Quad on Sep. 3.
“So far, it seems sweet,” Hill said. “A lot of people out enjoying time — like the families and just a lot of students playing games, eating some food, some good music.”
Whether BBQuad becomes a new tradition remains to be seen. Packer, who will graduate this year, said she hopes the event’s success will inspire future student leaders to continue it.
According to Packer and Hill, the event was a hit among students — a relaxed, welcoming celebration that gave first-year students a chance to step onto the Quad, grab a hot dog and maybe walk away with a new friend.