As the end of the semester approaches, a beautiful April midday brings lively happenings to CSU East Bay. Held from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM as a part of Earth Week, hundreds of students and staff from all majors gathered on the Music Lawn to celebrate the 4th annual EB Jamboree, hosted by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). 

“Even though we’re having all the fun– and we’ve got rides and everything– a big piece of it is community,” says  Corey Copeland, the campus engagement coordinator for ASI. “Just making sure everyone here on campus gets to meet everybody, and that nobody feels like a stranger.” 

The jamboree featured a live DJ, a rock wall, amusement park rides, a caricature artist, a dunk tank, and various food options. “This is a long annual school tradition,” said  Copeland. Five years after the COVID pandemic, ASI Presents has successfully reintroduced in-person events as a replacement for the Spring Mayhem. “This is kind of just an evolution or just an occurrence of that.”

Several dedicated CSU groups came together to support the celebration.“I wanna say a shout out to our student leadership group, SLIC [Student Leadership and Involvement Center]. Shout out to TKE [Tau Kappa Epsilon]. Shout out to Delta Chi. Shout out to the Wellness center. They’ve been doing everything just in their power to just make sure that this is a successful event.” The party was indeed successful, with long lines to get to several key offerings, including carnival games, face painting, & caricature artists, and Vendor city. “…A lot of the piece of it is just me, getting to hang out with the students—usually at the DISARC centers, like the Black Student Success Center, the Latinx Center, and the API Center—just seeing what they think is lacking on campus,” added Copeland. “Then I go out and try to provide that.”

Pioneer Dining was one of many stands that were found in “Vendor City”, a shaded designated area located directly in front of the music building that offered a variety of drinks, snacks, and other free goodies. Those interested were able to take with them their choice of items.

The food vendors were no exception to being popular among students. The first 325 students and 75 faculty who checked in received carnival food truck vouchers worth 2 free items of their choice, spanning corn dogs, fries, popcorn, cotton candy, and shaved ice, amongst other options.“A lot of help came from Chartwells and Pioneer Dining for connecting with food trucks,” Copeland explained. “Some vendors, like Classic Amusement, have been long-time campus partners—even before I started in this role.” 

ASI’s goal is to aid in building student and staff morale while fostering a welcoming environment. “Just coming in open, open-minded, coming in with the focus of just trying to meet and establish a better community and just having fun,” said Copeland. In addition to the free food and gifts, the jamboree also offered free artwork. An artist was on scene, drawing visitors to perfection. Attendees were all smiles after being sent away with their caricatures.

Turf, Inc., Oakland’s world-class dance group featured in Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, brought rap music and high-energy performances to campus. “I don’t think there was anything that resonated more with the students on campus and Bay Area natives and those who are just bringing diversity onto the campus,” said Copeland. Dancers honored their California roots, performing Kendrick Lamar’s hits like ‘Not Like Us.

The musical performances featured an all-day DJ, several dance-offs, and a dancing workshop. Guests were encouraged to come up on stage to engage more closely with the performers. Among the dancers was Mickale Moreland, a finalist who was later declared the winner.

Unsurprisingly, the event was a hit; ASI considers the students when planning events. “…A lot of the piece of it is just me, getting to hang out with the students—usually at the DISARC centers, like the Black Student Success Center, the Latinx Center, and the API Center—just seeing what they think is lacking on campus,” added Copeland. “Then I go out and try to provide that.”