Upon entering the Weasler Theatre parking lot, attendees were met with music, student vendors and food trucks.
The Marquette Night Market was an opportunity for student creators to reach their peers and display their products. And, the night was completed with a visit from Marquette President Kimo Ah Yun.
The Marquette Residence Life Leadership Board teamed up with Student Made Marquette, an organization that promotes student entrepreneurs, to host the night market on April 11.
One of the main highlights was the shopping. Students were able to peruse and buy from a variety of stands, all from student creators. Several booths were hosted, some selling T-shirts, others selling crocheted items and more.
Molly Beardsley, a first-year student in the College of Nursing, said the event gave her an opportunity to market her products to a wider audience. She creates t-shirts, ranging from Marquette-themed to a variety of different bands. She said being a part of Student Made Marquette has allowed her to promote the products she handcrafts.
“So, I’m selling my shirts that I’ve been making for a while now and it’s a great way to meet other people who are creative and crafty. And, make a little money while you’re here,” Beardsley said.
Beardsley said that she has made a good amount of sales through her tabling at Marquette events. She said selling her products helps her to make an income in college without having to work a traditional part time job.
The night market where Beardsley tabled was planned by RLLB. Camryn Rajala, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, works for the board as a hall leadership coordinator.
Rajala said that the board plans events within their respective resident halls throughout the year, but also collaborates to plan a few bigger events with the goal of uniting the campus community, the night market being one.
“There’s definitely been a really good turnout. Sometimes it’s hard to bring people together from different grades or colleges and all of that. But as you can see, people are really loving the free food and the Student Made pop-ups. I think it’s a really good way to build community and welcome spring on campus,” Rajala said.
Rajala works hard planning to ensure that these are fun for students, but beyond that she hopes to highlight student groups and the work that RLLB has done.
The work done by Rajala and RLLB has not gone unnoticed. Peter Hoover and Dixon Brunclik, both juniors in the College of Business, said they enjoyed the event. They joined in on their walk back from class, when they noticed the amount of people and heard the music coming from the DJ booth.
Hoover said he loves when Marquette hosts events like the night market because they provide great community–oriented experiences.
Brunclik said the market gave him the opportunity to interact with Marquette students he is not usually in contact with, and to see the work done by student creators.
“I see we have some clubs here, showcasing what they have, certain events they have going on. So I think it’s really good to get a wider breadth of what Marquette has to offer,” Brunclik said.
Hoover said the market gave him the chance to reflect on what Marquette has to offer outside of an educational experience.
“College is not just about academics. It’s the people you meet and the connections you’re gonna make as well. And oftentimes people get caught up in all the academic things, so when there’s actual sponsored school events that go on, I think it kind of reminds people of the other aspects of college in that community building. I’m just grateful to be a part of it,” Hoover said.
This story was written by Ruby Mulvaney. She can be reached at ruby.mulvaney@marquette.edu.
