Colgate University Dining Services hosted an engaging initiative to acquire more student feedback on Wednesday, Oct. 23, through its “Pie a Football Player” event, taking place in Frank Dining Hall. In collaboration with five football players, Dining Services provided students with the opportunity to throw a pie at a player in exchange for completing a Voice to Vision survey. The survey is imperative to the success of dining at Colgate. One of more than 200 colleges and universities in partnership with the organization Dine On Campus, Colgate depends on such surveys and events, as they provide ideas for dining improvement.
The answers from the surveys truly influence the future of dining, evident in the creation of popular dining options at Frank like La Mesa and Pure Eats. The lighthearted event not only sparked a sense of community on campus but also collected over 50 completed surveys in only one hour. After the event, the survey had collected around 400 responses — about 12% of the student body. The event was part of the Second Annual Culinary Throwdown, in which Dining Services invites a variety of clubs and organizations, like the Colgate Grilling Club and the Colgate Black Student Union, to curate a menu consisting of diverse cuisines.
The idea to pie a football player was devised by sophomore football players Ashawn Sims, Tymir Wynn and Justyn Toler and first-year players Mike Balogh and Kameron Phillips.
Sims approached Dining Services with the intent of expanding student engagement and was given the chance to put his proposal into action. Sims is very involved in the Colgate community, particularly in regard to Dining Services, regularly featuring as a DJ and playing a prominent role in events.
“We recently had a pumpkin carving activity, but I thought that I had to ‘up’ that, especially with it being around Halloween,” Sims said.
Sims also commented on being an athlete and being involved in other aspects of life at Colgate.
“A lot of people think that athletes try to separate themselves from ‘normal’ people, but that’s not the case.” Sims said.
Whether it be pumpkin carving, “pie-ing” a football player, or one of Sims’s DJ sets, interactive activities between students on campus prove to be integral to the strengthening of relationships both big and small. Furthermore, they highlight to students the importance of getting involved on campus and providing feedback through such surveys that consequently improve their everyday lives.
Colgate Dining Services Marketing Manager Tiffany Simmons commented on the success of the event.
“The student body loved the incentive to take the survey. In fact, a lot asked to take it several times,” Simmons said.
One of the many who had the opportunity to participate in throwing a pie was first-year Declan Fahey.
“I had a great time having fun in Frank through an activity other than eating,” Fahey said.
The hour of pie-ing looked to be an incredible experience to all involved, and only helped increase connections between students, faculty and student-athletes alike, with even coaches joining in on the action.
“It captures the spirit of our campus community — students supporting students in a fun and memorable way,” Simmons said.
Events like these are beneficial to the integration of the Colgate community, and with the halfway point of the first semester having recently passed, experiences like this will hopefully occur more often throughout the year. They serve as a testament to a shared commitment to improve campus life in ways that truly resonate with students and lead to positive outcomes.
