By Brigitte Petras
While snow and freezing temperatures persisted outside, Victoria Secret’s PINK Spring event invigorated students and sparked a refreshing mindset on Feb. 27 with beach balls, sunglasses and Hawaiian leis.
Sarah Jones and Natalie Lombardo, Youngstown State University’s PINK representatives, hosted their “Spring Break Prep Party” at Pressed Coffee Bar & Eatery, located on campus.
The DJ projected lively beats while Jones, Lombardo and the rest of their team had several games that give away PINK merchandise and other promotions, along with stations where photos were taken and picture frames were decorated.
Both Jones and Lombardo are market management students from the Williamson College of Business Administration. Although being a PINK representative does not count as an internship or a paid job, it gives them experience marketing and helps them come up with efficient marketing techniques.
Jones, the PINK representative in charge of organizing on-campus events, conveyed the purpose of their events.
“Our main goal is to get girls on campus to shop in PINK, especially through our social media,” Jones said. “We’re really trying to promote the collection as a whole.”
Eventually, the PINK representatives hope to expand the collegiate clothing offered at PINK.
“Through PINK, we’re trying to get a collegiate clothing line for Youngstown State” Jones said. “It all depends on the response that we get from our students. If they’re really engaged, we have a better chance of eventually getting a [clothing] line.”
Jones and Lombardo said they couldn’t have hosted these PINK events without the help of approximately eight other students who are called the “Street Team.”
“[The Street Team] basically assists us at events and if we have activities like we do tonight, they run them. We oversee them. We need as much help doing this. It’s crazy for Sarah and me,” Jones said.
The idea of hosting “PINK Spring Break Prep Party” at Pressed was actually pitched by a student from Lombardo’s and Jones’ street team.
“PINK wanted us to host a spring break party, but it’s still cold outside. So while you have a glimpse of spring break you can cozy up here [at Pressed,]” Lombardo said.
When the PINK reps suggested the idea roughly two weeks ago, owners Frank and Amy Tuscano of Pressed gladly embraced the opportunity.
“It’ll open up a different demographic coming in. I know [Lombardo and Jones] marketed the event to a lot of sororities so if they already haven’t visited Pressed, hopefully they’ll come tonight,” Amy Tuscano said. “We always try to support YSU and support the organizations within YSU. … It’s something to get our mind off the freezing cold too.”
This is the third PINK event on campus this year. Their last event, Victoria Secret Fashion Show Viewing party, occurred in December and over 120 students attended.
“I just want everybody on Youngstown State campus to how much time we passionately put towards this,” Lombardo said.
Bailey Choma, a current freshman at YSU who joined in on the energetic event, expressed how she felt about the event.
“I really liked how there was a ton of stuff to do there, I never once felt bored,” Choma said. “[PINK’s Spring Party] was much more than I expected. There was a lot to do and a lot of people there. Overall, I had a lot more fun than I would have ever expected.”