Cafeteria workers serve up traditional Louisiana cooking to students at Strawberry Jubilee. This year marks the first time the cafeteria has made the crawfish for Fais Do Do instead of an outside vendor.

The Lion’s Roar / Gleana Hill

Giving students a break from pre-finals madness, Fais Do Do offered the chance to get together with food and festivity.

The annual Fais Do Do has once again been hosted by University Housing, taking place Tuesday, April 21 and lasting from 4 p.m. into the early evening in the War Memorial Student Union.

Students feasted on crawfish, boiled potatoes, jambalaya and corn on the cob while enjoying one another’s company. Everyone present also had their sweet tooth indulged with cake and  flavored snowballs. A DJ and inflatable were also brought in. Monster Energy and the campus Food Pantry had their own booths; Monster handed out complimentary energy drinks and the Food Pantry allowed students to make donations to their cause.

There were a few new additions to the Fais Do Do this year, made in attempt to expand the festivities beyond just food.

“It’s a little bit different than we normally do,” said Aaron Johnson, junior political science major and representative of Housing. “This year, the cafeteria is actually making the crawfish themselves, and that’s something new. We’re also going to have an inflatable, which we have not done before either. We tried to add a few more things so the residents have a few more options outside from just eating crawfish.”

This year, Executive Chef Kevin Tolito himself helped cook the crawfish, a notable detail since previous Fais Do Do events have had their crawfish cooked by an outside vendor.

University Housing puts on Fais Do Do with the hopes of giving students a brief respite from the hectic final weeks of the spring semester as well as fostering community bonds. It is also an expression of gratitude for those students who live on campus.

“We really want people to just come here and have fun, and to spend time with one another,” said Ashley White, area coordinator for University Housing. “We partner with Campus Dining because all it takes is one swipe of their ID for their meal plan and they are included in all of this. [Admission for the event] is a little more expensive for people who don’t live on campus. It’s an event we put on for the student residents; it’s a big thank you for their living on campus and our hope that they will continue living with us and have fun at this big celebration.”

For more information on other events hosted by University Housing, visit their page on the university website.

Students pile on the crawfish, potatoes and corn on the cob as they take a break from pre-finals stress at the 2015 Strawberry Jubilee. Treats such as cupcakes, cake and snowballs were also provided for a sweet finish.

The Lion’s Roar / Emily Stephan