By Kassie Cessna
Thousands of freshmen running around the College Station Target at midnight was a reality last Tuesday.
The Target on Texas was one of 50 stores nationwide chosen to host a “Back to College After Hours Shopping Event,” Bethany Roche, Target manager said.
The main reason for this event is for promotion for Target and creating a partnership with Target, the freshmen, and the community. Roche mentioned that Target’s goal in events like this is that when a freshman, or any college student needs to buy something related to college their first thought is Target.
There were discounts of all sorts throughout the store, and free giveaways. As you entered the store they were giving away free Coke products in nifty aluminum bottles. When people were walking around the store Target employees were handing out free samples of toothpaste, Skittles, Orbitz Gum, and much more.
It was a very insane night. The freshman stood for quite a while at the doors waiting for Target employees to let them in. They grew anxious to rush in and see what was going on. Some were checking out the discounts, some were taking pictures with the Target mascot. All around it seemed everyone was having a great time.
“It was crazy. I have never seen anything like it,” Texas A&M Senior Mitchell Pate said.
Pate took freshmen from his Impact camp to the event.
“It was a mad house in Target but from talking to the freshmen they loved it because they got a free bag of items before they left as well as a few free items in the store. It was just a fun experience to be a part of,” he said.
Everyone was there for their own reasons. Some to get the free stuff, some to actually buy stuff. But it seemed everyone had an agenda coming to the shopping event.
Junior Erica Garcia was there to check out the student discounts and to see “what Target had to offer for school supplies and other needs.”
Freshman Laurent Turnham went with her IMPACT camp with no intention to buy anything but found several school supplies she needed to purchase.
This event was publicized in many ways but the majority of freshmen said their fish camp counselors told them about the event.
“I heard about it through the grapevine, and all my friends knew about it,” Turnham said.
It was an overall great time for everyone involved. People were getting crazy and having fun at Target, who would have thought?
“I went to hang out with my friends, and see what kind of things Target had to offer. Plus I needed to get a few last minute dorm things,” Freshman Michelle Laws said.
Roche estimated about 2,000 freshmen were there checking out what was going on. This creates a great partnership between the local community, A&M, and Target. It was a win-win for everybody involved in this event.