University of Houston Dining Services hosted its First Year Eats Mocktail Party in late January for first-time UH students. The get-together, the fourth in the Mocktail Party series and first of the spring semester, was held at the RAD Center and provided attendees an opportunity to mingle, snack, and share conversations and laughs with fellow Coog students.
Additionally, first-time UH students met members of the UH Dining Services team and learned about the meal plans available to them. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Institute for Global Engagement were also there to introduce their programs and the benefits they offer students.
At the party, the area was filled with the beats provided by the deejay as students feasted on quesadillas, meatballs, cake shooters, spinach artichoke, and an array of dips while downing their choice of mocktail signature drink: cucumber mint mojito, blood orange spritzer, or lavender lemonade. They also had a chance to win raffle prizes that included coffee beans, insulated water bottles, and protein bars.
Freshman Cecilia Mendoza made sure she was at this First Year Eats event. The biology major had attended and loved the fall semester version and didn’t want to miss out on the fun.
“I would highly recommend this event for first-year students,” said Mendoza. “It’s great food. Lots of people here and everyone is in a good mood.”
While the Mocktail Party is aimed at first-year UH students, UH Dining Services welcomes all students to the event despite their classification to ensure all students learn about what the department offers, while providing them with a sense of community.
That’s the impression senior Zaynab Qureshi felt.
“I definitely think it was worth it,” said the computer science major. “And it helped
me feel more connected to the community here at UH. It was a really good experience.”
For UH Dining Services district marketing manager Alexcis Mendoza, hearing that students
enjoyed their time is music to her ears.
“That’s the goal and that’s why we keep doing it.” said Mendoza. “We want to curate that environment for them and give them that opportunity to network, because it’s so important that they network — especially at the beginning of the semester — so that they can build their support system and broaden their net.”
