In an attempt to link faces and personalities with jersey numbers, the UCSD athletics department and Housing and Dining Services have teamed up on a project to promote game attendance by providing athletes a means to interact with the student body.
UCSD athletes chosen by a committee in the Athletes Council are paired up with their college’s dining hall to serve a recipe of their choice.
‘We kind of give the athletes free reign for what recipe they want to choose,’ Senior Associate Athletic Director Ken Grosse said. ‘We just tell them to pick something they like and something they don’t normally serve at the dining hall. A lot of times they’re home recipes.’
Inspired by her favorite pre-meet meal, senior Kendall Bohn of the swimming and diving team served meatball sandwiches to students at John Muir College’s Sierra Summit on Jan. 29.
‘It was pretty interesting because usually students don’t have an input on what’s sold,’ said Revelle College senior Sheila Nguyen, who was one of Bohn’s customers. ‘I think it’s a really good idea.’
Not only did Bohn play lunch lady to a steady stream of customers, she entertained students with lighthearted jokes and meatball innuendo.
‘It’s good to have students see the athletes in a normal light and know who they are,’ Grosse said. ‘And a lot of people who go to the games are there because they know somebody on the team.’
While she’s not sure whether any students were convinced to attend her swim meets, Bohn felt the overall reception was positive.
‘I was kind of apprehensive at first, but everyone has been really nice and they seem real excited about the meatball sandwiches,’ she said.
So far six athletes have participated in the promotion, with the most popular being senior guard Kelvin Kim of the basketball team, according to Grosse. Kim offered his recipe of Korean beef last month at Canyon Vista to diners in Earl Warren College.
‘Kelvin Kim’s was great,’ Grosse said. ‘There was a big line with people taking pictures.’
Because the project is relatively new ‘mdash; it debuted second week of Winter Quarter ‘mdash; Grosse said he hopes more publicity in the future will bring larger crowds.
Ideally, student interest in the dining hall promotions, which have started with hit-or-miss attendance, will eventually draw larger crowds to games and meets. In the meantime, friendly athletes will continue offering their recipes to anyone willing to try a taste.
Readers can contact Janani Sridharan at [email protected].