WRIU and Student Involvement kicked off the new academic year with a groove, hosting the first “Beats and Eats” event of the year on Sept. 17, with fall treats and themed events.
The University of Rhode Island’s “Beats and Eats” is a monthly event at the Memorial Union, typically in conjunction with local food trucks, according to Trevor Johnson, graduate assistant for the Office of Student Involvement.
This month’s “Beats and Eats” was very fall-inspired and has been planned for about a month, according to Johnson. The Sarcastic Sweets food truck served participating students three different fall treats: pumpkin spice cookies, hand-made apple pies and a chai latte. Students were instructed to visit the Student Involvement table to receive a voucher redeemable at the truck for one treat of their choice.
Liam Jolly, business manager for WRIU and a fourth-year biotechnology major, mentioned that he was told a week and a half in advance about the Beats and Eats event.
“Whenever someone needs music played, [WRIU is] often contacted,” Jolly said. “We like to show up and represent WRIU to the rest of the community and just be an active part of URI.”
Patrons can request certain songs to be played if they want, according to Jolly. If not requested, Jolly tries to match the mood of the event.
These events have been taking place on URI’s campus for about four years, according to Johnson, and Student Involvement has kept its partnerships with local food trucks and WRIU to continue to make these monthly events possible.
Next month’s “Beats and Eats” will take place in honor of Hispanic Heritage month, and a very Latin-inspired event is currently being planned by Student Involvement. The event will celebrate Hispanic culture, and a taco truck and piñata will be present, according to Johnson.
To stay up-to-date on events being hosted by Student Involvement or request an event to be hosted by them, refer to its webpage on the URI website.
