“It’s not every day you get to have a promotion for mocktails,” says Kai Amuso (‘26).
On Friday, February 23, RHA was serving Mocktails in the Campus Center Marketplace from 11am-1pm. The event was hosted by Area Coordinator, Roló Lopez and Area Coordinator, Cheyenne Laszlo, as well as a few students. It was held to create a fun space for students to chat and sip on a freshly made mocktail. They offered all different kinds of fruity drinks, from a Strawberry Lime Mojito to a Frozen Piña-Colada. The Marketplace was decorated brightly, and in each drink was a paper mocktail umbrella.
Students were informed of this event through email, flyers, and word of mouth. Many students came from class, others spotted the event on their way to the dining hall, and some students, like Kai Amuso (26’) and Katrina Nakaya (26’), came specifically to try one of these fresh drinks.
Both Amuso and Nakaya say they lived on the same floor their freshman year at MCLA, and Nakaya says “I think it’s extremely important to have these events, especially at school. If I didn’t come today, I wouldn’t have seen you, Emma, or Kai. It’s nice to see you guys again.”
Amuso nods, then adds, “Within the town, there isn’t a crazy amount of things to do. Especially during the season now, when it’s kind of bitter out, and you don’t really want to go anywhere. Having a little local hang out spot for people our age is pretty nice. It’s just the social aspect. Not everyone around here can drink and not everyone wants to drink, so just having a nice sober atmosphere is great for building community.”
Both in and outside of school, Amuso and Nakaya claim this was their first mocktail event. They both smiled, pointing out at how great it was to be able to get free drinks, and how delicious their drinks were.
Amuso mentions, “I knew about a different mocktail and painting event in a few weeks. Then I got an email today, for this event, and I was like ‘Oh this is like a completely separate mocktail event’, so I went to check it out.”
Nakaya responds with, “Oh, I actually knew about this event before and I was excited about it. But I didn’t know what day this event was until the email just now. Then I was like, ‘Oh it’s today’, so I came. I thought the idea of mocktails sounds super fun. It’s something different.”
Amuso and Nakaya recommend that students get out there and attend these types of social events, because it is not uncommon that you meet a new friend or catch up with some current friends. Even just getting out of your room or taking a break from schoolwork to enjoy a nice beverage might make your day, or someone else’s day. One conversation over a mocktail might seem small but taking that risk might pave the way to making a new friend. Through conversation, you might make fellowships and bonds over one small similarity, which could evolve into many similarities. It is a safe space, where students and staff in college can seize the opportunity to connect with each other.
“I’d absolutely encourage other students to come”, remarks Amuso, “It’s great having the opportunity to talk to people and mingle. I don’t leave my dorm room often because I’m shy. Having this opportunity to be like ‘Oh hey, we have the same drink’ or ‘Oh hey, your jacket is so cute’. It’s just a nice little time to chill. At the end of the day, it’s just a fun little drink. They did such a good job with everything.”