IGNITE, the student union at Humber, were giving away prizes and held a raffle at the North Campus on Wednesday, part of its promotion for a guest speaker event early next month.
Every semester IGNITE holds a series called Real Talk where they have guest speakers come in and talk to students. Topics range from wellness and mental health to finances. Even better, students can win free stuff.
“An easy way to get students’ attention is a giveaway of a bunch of prizes that coincide with the people that are coming,” Marlon Peters, Manager of student engagement, told Humber News.
Peters said all students have to do is scratch a ticket and have some fun. Students can walk away with like, a snack attack box, one of those instant cameras, or a hydro flask.
“There’s a few questions on there, like have they gone to the Humber gym? Have they been to IGNITE Real Talks and stuff like that,” said Peters.
Last semester they had Toronto-born singer Jessie Reyez come and talk about career success. She advised students about getting into the industry and her personal experiences as a musician.
The series is one of Humber’s ideas to help students better navigate student life.
“I was just walking nearby and I saw the line. It was long! I thought why not wait here?” said First-year IT Solutions student, Hardei Shastri.
Shastri won a snack attack box and a hydro flask at Wednesday’s event. She said she is always excited to see these kinds of pops on campus which helps with the monotony of homework.
“In IT we have a lot of work and a lot of assignments. So in our free time, we are good to go with this kind of event. We are making ourselves enjoyable at the moment,” said Shastri.
Even though the lineup was long, Shastri says the games and prizes were worth it. All of her friends won a prize and seemed happy to participate.
“Why not, it’s free. It costs you nothing but a few minutes. There’s music and prizes. What have you got to lose?” asked Peters.
The events start at noon and finish when all of the 300 prizes have been won. The IGNITE Team is gearing up for its next big event on Feb. 1.
Stars Alek Manoah, Pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, and Jonathan Osorio, Soccer player for the Toronto FC Academy will be guest speakers. They will speak on their athletic journeys and how they achieved success. Speaking on mental and physical health to making healthy habits and making realistic goals.
“These events are for students to know there’s always help,” says Peters.