Taylormania is like a highly infectious disease. Granted, it is a colorful, fun-loving disease characterized by friendship bracelets and catchy pop anthems. But nonetheless, its virality is undeniable. It’s everywhere — even in your food!
This past Thursday, C3 Dining Hall on UB North Campus hoped that capitalizing on Taylormania would “make the whole place shimmer” with excitement.
Their “Taylor Swift Night” pulled in droves of diners — mostly Swifties who saw the Eras Tour-inspired sign advertising friendship bracelet-making and a menu of “Taylor’s favorites.”
It was as if Swift’s own “Electric Touch” had brought the dining hall back to life. C3’s speakers, which normally blare an unpredictable mix of everything from old school rock and radio pop to obscure alternative tracks, bumped Taylor’s chart-toppers instead. “Karma (feat. Ice Spice)” and “I Can See You,” among other tracks, had Swifties singing along in between chewing and weaving together beads.
“I had to come and make a bracelet. It’s nice that they’re providing all this stuff for us,” Maci Greco, a freshman biomedical science major and “1989” stan, said while making a “Taylor’s Version” bracelet. “I did this already when I went to the Eras Tour. Me and my sister made so many.”
The bracelets and music weren’t the only reason diners were having “The Best Day” at C3. Other small details of the night, like hand-written fun facts about Swift on the food station glass — everything from how she grew up on a Christmas tree farm to where her father attended university — had students wanting to “Stay, Stay, Stay.”
C3 decorated its food stations with fun facts about Taylor Swift.
“I went around, and I looked at all of them,” Ashlee Brinthaupt, a junior engineering major and C3 employee, said. “I was kinda shocked that they put so many facts on there. I nod to them for doing that because that’s a lot of work.”
Two campus dining employees managed the bustling bracelet-making station as diners gathered around tables to get their hands on some beads, letters and string. These employees described being one “Mastermind” of many behind the themed night.
“We brought it up to our boss, and he’s a big Taylor fan, too. He took the idea and ran with it,” Brinthaupt explained while “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” played in the background.
“We were at our team meeting, and I’m a huge Swiftie,” Ashley Parrish, a junior communications major, C3 marketing employee and a self-identified “giga-fan” and “Maroon” enthusiast, added. “I was like, ‘The movie’s coming out this week. What if we do like a post related to friendship bracelets?’ My boss was like, ‘You know what, we’re gonna take that a step further and make a whole event.’”
From there, the bracelet making kits were ordered online, and the graphic design team got to work on a foodie version of Swift’s Eras Tour poster. “The dominoes cascaded in a line,” and the yummy pieces all came together.
To those who see the event as a cheap promotional gimmick, you can “Call It What You Want.” According to diners, C3 and Taylor Swift just “Hits Different.”
“I thought this was really cute. I like the music. I thought the bracelets were also a really cute touch,” Jessica Horne, a freshman English major, said while making even more bracelets — having already made ones saying, “Cornelia Street,” “All Too Well,” “I Wish You Would” and more.
“Long Story Short,” the event was certainly an “Untouchable” success.
Alex Novak is the senior arts editor and can be reached at alex.novak@ubspectrum.com
Alex Novak is a senior arts editor at The Spectrum.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
