Students not only got a taste of what the University of Arizona Student Union has to offer during the Taste of the Union event on Thursday, Jan. 10, they got tastes of each vendors’ food as well. 

The event is held annually at the beginning of the spring semester and consists of a scavenger hunt that requires students to get a stamp and a sample from every vendor at the Union. After the hunt, their names are drawn for a chance to win a prize, including this year’s prize of a new bike.

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All the restaurants located in the Student Union Memorial Center had samples including a slice of pizza from Papa John’s, sandwiches from On Deck Deli, and chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A.  

Nathalie Mata, a student worker at CORE who helped hand out food, said, “we’re participating in TOTU to get to know the students.”

According to Kim Celaya, purchaser for Student Union Dining Services, about 1500 to 2000 students come to the event every year.

One student who attended this year, Maddie Morrow, said she came for the free food.

“My favorite food I got was the pizza,” Morrow said. “They have a big slice as opposed to a sample.”

Promoting what each vendor has to offer is something the TOTU strives for, according to Celaya.

“Every restaurant has something unique to them to get people interested in coming back,” Celaya said.

Neysha Aguilar, the marketing and communications manager for the Student Unions, helps put on the event every year. She said her goal was to make sure students are aware what the unions offer.

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“We have grown just from a dining facility to a dining experience, and we have been taking the approach of healthy eating very seriously,” Aguilar said. “We are proud to serve nutritious items as well as the amazing vendors of course like Papa John’s and Steak ‘n Shake.”

If you missed TOTU, you can still check out what the union has to offer during normal business hours.

“We want to make sure that as you’re going across the union and grabbing a bite wherever you go, you will be able to see the high quality of ingredients as well as the nutritional value that comes within it,” Aguilar said.

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