Midnight Breakfast Event

Last evening was University of Connecticut’s pre-finals send off event for their students. What a great event.

My course finished on Friday, with final grades submitted on Sunday. I have the next semester off and return to teach in the summer and fall, 2009.

I received an email from the school seeking staff volunteers for an on campus event held every semester. Each session the school hosts a free event for the students to motivate them for final exams. The even is called the Midnight Breakfast Event.

Students line up as early as possible to be in the front of the line. Free food and goodies are served to all the students from 10:30 PM to 12:30 AM (late for most folks but early for students) the night before the start of finals.

Last night was my first time volunteering to serve students. Thousands came through our station, and we were one of many stations throughout the student union. The line never stopped until 12:30.

As an on-line professor I don’t get much face to face interaction with students or exposure to campus life experiences, so this event provided me with some of that and more. To see the professor behind the counter serving them free food, giving back to support them, made my time worthwhile.

The highlight was watching UConn’s President Hogan stand out in front of the macaroni and cheese station to our left and personally greet each student as they came through the line, handing them their snack and wishing them well on their exams.

Certainly if the University’s President can spend his time coming out to support the students, then so can I. It was a great event!