CSUEB’s Annual Fall Welcome Back Festival

California State University, East Bay kicked off the year with the annual al-Fresco fall festival on Aug. 24. The repopulation of students on campus allowed clubs and organizations to interact with students, faculty, and staff in person during the event. Many of the attendees saw live performances by Myles Parrish, Kazual Acapella, and DJ Quan.

In collaboration with Raphael Timmons, East Bay Live’s Station Manager, students’ raw reactions were captured on video at the moment of the event.

“I’m feeling so blessed right now to be here in this environment after that long pandemic. To see this many students here really touches my heart,” Sepehr Khosravi, a junior at CSUEB stated.

Shared feelings of excitement remained strong amongst students and faculty in response to the in-person event.

“It’s been really great energy, and it’s great to be back on campus meeting new people,” said Scarlet Schwenk, Managing Editor of The Pioneer.

Al Fresco was the first major event to take place this fall with students interested in interacting with their campus community.

“I’m super excited for al Fresco and to bring the community back to campus,” Ashmita Ahluwalia, ASI Director of Wellness stated.

Following safety protocols, more events will be coming for this semester, not limited to in-person, and will include online giveaways involving East Bay’s online student community during the pandemic.