Matafest “Boardwalk” Shows Students What the USU has to Offer

  • Events Supervisor Randy Sorensen and Student Event Assistant Perla Palacios help students create sand masterpieces to enter in the sand castle contest, for a chance to win a Kindle Fire. Photo by Nestor Garcia

  • Students enjoy Italian ices provided by Frozen Crush. Students also had the chance to grab free tasty treats such as corn dogs and aguas frescas in between classes. Photo by Nestor Garcia

  • Senior Vanessa Fuentes (Health Public Promotions) strikes a pose with one of the street performers on stilts. Matafest is the kickoff event for the new year, welcoming students to the USU. Photo by Nestor Garcia

  • A student stops by the Student Recreation Center table — one of the many booths offering information on the USU’s resources and job opportunities — to learn more about the state-of–the-art gym facility. Photo by Nestor Garcia

  • Students snap pictures in a life-sized Instagram cutout. While there, students signed up for a chance to win a Matador Bookstore gift card or free parking pass for the semester. Photo by Nestor Garcia

  • Junior Brenda Romero (Sociology) tests her strength on the high striker. Students also got the chance to dunk their peers in the dunk tank. Photo by Nestor Garcia

Sand castles, corn dogs and boardwalk fun were on display at California State University, Northridge’s University Student Union (USU) on Aug. 28, as part of the annual Matafest event to welcome students to the new semester. There were plenty of free games, food and activities for students to enjoy in the Plaza Del Sol and Student Recreation Center pool. Prizes included a $500 Matador Bookstore gift card and a free parking pass for the semester. Matafest brought fun activities to CSUN while giving students a chance to learn about all the resources the USU has to offer.

The boardwalk theme transformed the USU into a beach scene. The first session of Matafest, at Plaza Del Sol in the early afternoon, included free food, drinks and even Italian ice. Street performers on stilts walked through the USU while Surf’s Up — a Beach Boys cover band — played live music. Students showed off their strength on the high striker or tested their aim at the dunk tank. The evening session took place at the Student Recreation Center pool, where students relaxed, made s’mores, created sand castles and listened to music played by a DJ.

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