Students celebrated their return to campus by making stuffed animals and shopping from a free produce market at a back-to school party this Monday.

Roughly 250 students attended the Office of Student Engagement’s event on AACC’s Quad.

“So every semester we try to do a welcome week series of programming,” Kyle Godduhn-Braaten, the first-year experience specialist for the Office of Student Engagement, said. “So for the fall, we always try to do a block party on the quad just so that we can give away some free goodies for students, give away some free food and just restart the semester off strong.”

One student said the event brought a sense of community to the campus. 

“We’re all standing around the same stuffing bag,” first-year public health student Karen Morales said. “It’s, like, getting people together.”

Another student said the event was a good way to get information on getting involved with the school.

“That’s kind of what I thought was the main [thing] driving this besides just spreading information of whatever different organizations want to say,” second-year transfer student Michael Richardson said. “Because I did learn a good amount and I met some people.”

Godduhn-Braaten added the most interesting part of the event was the “free produce market. So we partner with an organization called Hungry Harvest, and every month we do a free produce market for students to sort of help combat food insecurity.” 

The Office of Student Engagement plans to host other back-to-school events throughout the beginning of the fall semester. 

Hailey McDonald contributed to this story.