The fourth annual Kickback event, “The Daydream,” was hosted by the Student Union Society (SUS) on Sept. 19 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in and around the Student Union Building. With over 2,500 registrations and 1,300 students checked-in, the event offered free merchandise, free food, and a variety of activities including a bungee trampoline to celebrate students’ daydreams as they enter a new academic year.
Kickback 004 was open to all current UFV students. Upon checking in, SUS staff handed out over 900 food vouchers in partnership with Roasted Revolution Corn, Boba Tea and Li, Shawarma Time, and Eat it Hotdogs. They also distributed two tokens per student for the beer garden which served craft beers from Canuck Empire Brewing, seltzers from Please! Beverage Co., and Ole Cocktail Co., as well as non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, SUS distributed more than 1,000 pieces of free merchandise, including tote bags, shirts, belt bags, and keychains to attendees.
Several UFV departments, including the Academic Advising Centre, CareerLink, UFV Cascades, UFV International, Campus Recreation, Sustainable UFV, and us at The Cascade*, all participated in Kickback 004. External vendors like RBC, Canada Blood Services, Evoke Wellness Centre, Rexall Drugstore, Simply Dental Hygiene, Tourism Abbotsford, and 89.5 JR Country collaborated with SUS to advertise and offer their services to students. Inside Evered Hall was a Clubs & Associations avenue for students to engage with different departments and win prizes.
One of the most significant changes this year for Kickback was the location. “This is our first time doing it in and around the S building rather than on the green,” said SUS President Jayden Hovey. He added that “with construction, we felt like it was a good time to pick a new location and honestly, I think that it’s even better; I really like it out here. It’s close to home, right? Close to our building.”
This year, SUS had a host of activities, including lawn games, a caricaturist, airbrush tattoos, a foam pit, a bungee trampoline, and a photo booth. DJ Mat Vanstone mixed the four hour event.
Answering to what drives SUS to organize such events, Hovey said that “we do it for the students.” He added, “I love this school and I really want to increase the engagement on campus. I want students to feel like there’s a good community here, and we want to be the ones to bring fun events that students can really enjoy and connect with.”
Hovey emphasized that he wants to encourage students to reach out to SUS for support. “Come talk to the info desk, reach out to the execs. That’s kind of why we do it; we want to be able to connect students from where they are to where they need to be. We’re always here to answer questions; if students need support we’re a great resource.”
Era Girdhar, a business diploma student, shared, “It was really good. I got a tattoo and I got a sketch with my friends. It was a really good event and I really enjoyed it.” When asked if she would change anything about the event, Girdhar replied that while there were some vegetarian options, they were limited. She added that “I need the university to introduce more vegetarian options.”
Events like Kickback not only foster community engagement, but also provide opportunities to build connections and student trust in the university. To stay updated about upcoming events, please visit ufvsus.ca, events.ufv.ca, or check out the back page of The Cascade.
