SEANA BARCLAY – COPY EDITOR
For the first time in two years, St. Mary’s University is bringing back one of the biggest events of the year, Oyster Bake. This Fiesta staple is one of the most anticipated events of the spring semester and one of the largest means of revenue for the university. The event features carnival rides, delicious fried foods, specialty drinks and snacks, and of course, oysters for days.
Oyster Bake is one of the many things that makes St.Mary’s just as unique as the city it calls home. San Antonio’s annual Fiesta is one of the city’s biggest celebrations and a long-standing tradition in the over 300-year-old city. This will be the 106th Oyster Bake to date and this century-long tradition is set to return with more fanfare than ever featuring many great performances by artists like Blue Oyster Cult and Puddle of Mudd alongside many other talented performers.
Many look forward to the return of the carnival rides and state fair-style foods like the ever-famous chicken on a stick, an Oyster Bake staple, and other delicious snacks like funnel cake, elotes, hot Cheetos and cheese, paletas, and other fried fair foods. The festival also has its share of featured drinks like agua frescas, frozen lemonades, raspas, and alcoholic beverages as well.
Students all around campus look forward to Oyster Bake every year, traditionally speaking, and its return this year. Many students who joined the St. Mary’s community during the pandemic are looking forward to experiencing it for the first time. Even for those who are not planning on attending the festivities, that Friday during the festival is typically a welcome day off in an already busy semester. However, this year, that Friday was made an optional make-up day due to the late start of the semester, and as the community continues to adjust to COVID-19, hopefully, the next Oyster Bake will still have its traditional Friday off for students and faculty.
But Oyster Bake is more than just a grand party. The festival is one of the biggest sources of revenue for both the university and for those organizations that choose to participate in the fundraising, with 100% of the money made going back to St. Mary’s students and organizations in the form of scholarships, donations, and operational funds. One of the main reasons students should be excited about the festival’s return is the fact scholarships, depending on the two-day event’s turnout, could potentially see an increase, especially after Oyster Bake’s two-year absence.
For students unfamiliar with Oyster Bake, this festival is worth the craziness especially given this year’s shortened spring semester. The first and most notable change students will see is the temporary fencing surrounding the campus, especially around residence halls. Meant to control crowds during Oyster Bake, these fences do unfortunately disrupt usual walking paths and shortcuts around the campus so students should be prepared to navigate campus with a bit more time set aside before classes. The fences are also put in place to keep unwanted visitors to the festival out of the residence hall areas to protect residents who decide to stay on campus during Oyster Bake.
But for many Oyster Bake is not coming back without a few concerns. The pandemic is still ongoing and despite loosened restrictions surrounding masks on campus, having this large of a gathering on campus is still a slight cause for concern, especially for high-risk or auto-immune compromised students and faculty. But such is the risk of hosting this large of an event on campus during a pandemic.
Thankfully, after two years, the number of vaccinations and boosters has increased greatly with 75.5% of the Bexar County population being fully vaccinated as of March 9 according to data provided by the city of San Antonio. Given this, it’s understandable that the university would now feel more comfortable hosting such an event. And beyond the realm of pandemic-related concerns, the monetary benefits of hosting Oyster Bake are vastly important in the grand scheme of scholarship money, organizations, and the future of current and incoming students here at St. Mary’s.
But despite the promising statistics, it’s still important that students and staff stay as safe as possible as the semester goes on so that the St. Mary’s community can continue to have in-person classes and events. Alongside staying safe with regards to the pandemic, students should also be prepared for the large crowds expected for Oyster Bake and put personal measures in place to ensure that the festival remains a fun-filled event and a welcome break from a hectic and unusual semester.