By Noemi Orozco, March 18, 2025
Student-led booths and aromas of comforting Latin food filled Cal Poly Pomona’s Ursa Major suite, the usual site for guest speakers and department mixers, March 6 for Associated Students Incorporated’s annual Community Roots Marketplace.
Featuring hand-crafted items ranging from knitted Hello Kitty beanies to homemade catnip, the event, organized in collaboration between ASI, the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Center and Centers for Transformation, Retention, Equity and Empowerment, allowed university cultural clubs and student entrepreneurs to showcase their creative endeavors in CPP’s own version of a Los Angeles swap meet.
The Bronco Commons was the original setting for the marketplace years prior. Yet, due to rainy conditions, the more than 20 student vendors were moved indoors, fostering an environment for students to keep dry.
One booth featured mechanical engineering student Alondra Meza Almanza’s business, Alo’s Crochets, self-made, crocheted book sleeves for $30 to $35 each.
“A lot of hours definitely goes into crocheting,” Almanza said. “I will say, about these book sleeves, it takes around two hours to make each of them.”
Beyond displaying individual students’ creative talents to the campus community, the marketplace offered an in-person vending experience to typically online shops, such as Instagram business With Love Guerra.
Run by visual communication design student Melissa Guerra, her character designs, such as Fresita Bear and Lil Flower Guy, were featured on stickers, round buttons and acrylic pins. Many found homes clipped onto backpacks or pasted on laptops during the event.
“I have random stickers on my journals, so I wanted to put that part of me and bring it to other people as well,” Guerra said. “They (students) are very enthusiastic about it. They bring so much energy, and I love it so much.”
As Guerra explained, supporting small businesses like hers provides human interaction between the shopper and the person behind the product buyers cannot get from larger corporations.
“We put so much more love, and we have one-on-ones like this, and I feel like you don’t have that with Amazon or Target,” Guerra said. “Speaking to someone who spends hours doing stuff, and they’re really appreciative of it. They won’t forget you.”
As attendees perused an array of one-of-a-kind goods, CPP’s cultural centers also offered tasty treats, including pozole sold by Global Medical Brigades and conchas from Adelante Estudíantes.
Vanessa Fuentes, the director of public relations for the Mexican American Student Association, and other executive club members strived to raise funds by selling Hot Cheetos with melted cheese to maintain their house on campus. She hopes the club retains its prominence at CPP by participating in community-reach events like the marketplace.
“I think it’s just getting our name out, being recognized by the school that we’re a legit club,” Fuentes said. “We (MASA) were dead a couple years ago. We didn’t have any activity, but this year our president really helped us bring it back to life, and we’re just hoping to continue doing that.”
Featured image courtesy of Elizabeth Teo
