By Heather Monahan
Assistant Features Editor
On Tuesday students sampled cuisine from all of the places to eat on campus. For two dollars, students could try favorite foods from the Rathskeller, RC Cafe, Cafe LaVerna, Francis Dining Hall and Clubhouse Restaurant in the Rathskeller from 6-8 p.m.
Taste of Bonaventure, an event put on by Michael Russell’s, professor and chair of the marketing department, Event Sponsorship and Marketing class had the goal of informing students of their dining options at Bonaventure and giving all students on campus the option to attend a social event.
The Event and Sponsorship Marketing class requires students to hold a sponsored event to raise money for a charity of their choice. The four planners of the event chose The Warming House in Olean.
“We originally wanted to do a ‘Taste of Olean’ and invite all the local restaurants,” Jaclyn Prechtl, a junior marketing major said. “However, there are infringement rules set in place allowing ARAMARK the right to be the only food distributor on campus.”
Prechtl, one of the four event planners, said ARAMARK was eager to assist the group with their event and helped incorporate all of the places available for students to eat.
“We had to start over and think of a new idea, based off the first one, but instead the food was from places run by ARAMARK,” Claire Mangine, a senior journalism and mass communication major said.
Mangine also said the idea behind Taste of Bonaventure came from personal experience.
“My group thought back to our freshman year when we weren’t really familiar with everywhere to eat around here, especially Francis and The Clubhouse,” she said. “We wanted to change that for the current freshmen and anyone else on campus who felt the same way.”
Once the group’s idea became a reality, the group had to decide who would be the recipient of the funds they raised through the event.
“We decided on the Warming House because our event was focused around food, and so is part of their mission,” Mangine said. “We raised over $200 and also collected some canned goods to donate to them.”
Mangine and Prechtl both said that donating to The Warming House was important to them because of how much the organization does for the community.
“We know that as a student-run organization, it’s important to contribute as much as we can,” Prechtl said.
Prechtl said the event was a blast.
“All the people we worked with, including the workers who helped us, were so kind and generous,” she said.
Mangine agreed and deemed the event a success
“We were really happy with how everything turned out including the food options and the attendance,” Mangine said. “The ARAMARK workers at the event were so helpful and happy to be there.”
Mangine was also excited as this was her first time planning an event of this size.
“It was the first big event I’ve really ever planned and I’m so happy with the outcome,” she said.
