With most of the student body away until August, campus over the summer can feel rather empty compared to the bustling grounds students grow accustomed to during the school year. To keep campus vibrant and inviting over the summer months, the Carolina Union Activities Board is providing a steady stream of events aimed at helping students wind down and connect with their peers.
“Summer courses are super stressful for students, much more than the academic year,” CUAB President Neil Harwani said. “So we really want to use our student fees that we get to effectively provide programs for students that are fun, stress relieving, you know, just kind of get that response of, ‘I can’t believe you’re actually doing this for me.’”
One of CUAB’s most popular efforts this summer is free Pelican’s SnoBalls each Tuesday in Polk Place, weather permitting. Free SnoBalls proved popular with students throughout June and will continue through July. The rain location is inside the Union.
“We do that weekly,” Harwani said, “So students can always rely on that Tuesday afternoon break in the sun, maybe go out to Polk Place and get a free snow cone.”
Starting in July, CUAB’s weekly frozen treat offering will also include free ice cream every Friday at the same locations.
“Every Friday we’ll do a different ice cream place,” Harwani said. “So starting out July 1 we’re doing Maple View, and then every week, every Friday after that we’re gonna be doing different ice cream places. So we have Ben and Jerry’s next, then Cold Stone and then more Locopops.”
While standing in line for SnoBalls Tuesday, senior Erin Sugg said she would like to see CUAB put on more events featuring frozen treats.
“Because it’s so warm and sunny, I think that’s a really great idea," Sugg said.
In addition to weekly offerings, CUAB is putting on several larger, one-time events this summer.
