UAlbany Community Comes Together for Campus Crunch Celebration

By Sophia Arredondo | October 20, 2025

Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

The University at Albany celebrated its 11th annual Campus Crunch Thursday (10/16) at the Campus Center Small Fountain. The statewide event, which promotes sustainability and local food, brought students, faculty and staff together to reaffirm the University's commitment to healthy food and a healthy planet. 

The event began at noon, filling the Small Fountain with crowds of students eager to sample local foods, meet vendors and take in the fall atmosphere. Tables from local food vendors and campus organizations surrounded the fountain. 

Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

Among the organization tables were the Office of Environmental Sustainability, UAlbany Students for Sustainability and UA Grow Green Club — each sharing their roles on campus and information on how students can live more sustainably. 

“The goal is to improve the sustainability of the actual physical campus, as well as educate the campus community, so they can take those sustainability behaviors onto the rest of their lives,” said Meghan Popcun, Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability. “So in their own communities, for students, take it into their future, into their workplaces as well.”

The Office of Sustainability focused on the circularity of food, encouraging attendees to think about both where their food comes from and what happens to it after it’s eaten.

Compost bins were available throughout the area for apple cores and stems, supporting the event's goal of reducing food waste. 

“The dining services have been consciously increasing the amount of food we buy from New York, and we're identifying how we could increase that percentage,” Mary Ellen Mallia, Director of the Office of Sustainability said. “It's really exciting to be part of a school that's big enough to help push the market.”

Campus Crunch is just one of several dining initiatives advancing UAlbany’s sustainability efforts. 

Local food vendors from across New York State offered samples of fall favorites, drawing long lines of students eager to taste and learn. 

Mento Produce, a local vendor that supplies much of the university’s produce, participated in Campus Crunch for the first time this year. 

 Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

“It's nice to see that students are interested to see where their food comes from,” Steve Puccia, a sales member of Mento Produce said. “We enjoy interacting with the students and teaching them where their food’s grown.” 

Other vendors included Indian Ladder Farms, serving apple cider and cider donuts; Osocar’s Adirondack Mountain Smoke House, offering charcuterie board meat and cheeses; and Ronnybrook Farm, featuring a butternut squash bisque. 

Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

Students lined up quickly for samples, filling the air with the scent of apples, cinnamon and fresh produce.

“It was amazing to branch out and try so many different foods,” UAlbany student Mattingly Clarke said. “The ice cream and cider were my favorites.” 

While the food was a major attraction, the sense of community truly tied the event together. Hosting Campus Crunch outside the Campus Center gave students and faculty the chance to stop by between classes and join the celebration. 

Attendees could also enter raffles for themed prize baskets, all locally sourced from vendors around Albany. The giveaways added another layer of excitement while reinforcing the event’s message of supporting local producers and sustainable living. 

The event had also been promoted heavily for weeks on the University Auxiliary Services (UAS) social media pages, helping draw a large crowd. 

Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

No Campus Crunch would be complete without its beloved mascot, Crunchy the Apple, who represents the event’s mission of healthy, sustainable eating. This year, Miekayla Pierre, a student marketing assistant with UAS, brought Crunchy to life as she posed for photos and helped attendees celebrate the occasion.

Pierre shared insights into the behind-the-scenes planning that makes Campus Crunch a success.

“We look at numbers from last year and see where we can improve. It starts very analytical, just trying to figure out where we need improvement, what the students are looking for, so that's also what's really important,” Pierre said. “You want to focus on what the student body wants overall.”

“I feel like we do a really good job with that — just making everything look aesthetically pleasing,” she added. “It's fall now, the leaves are falling,
so everything kind of just fits in place —  using local vendors and just helping the community and its whole. I feel like it's something that's really unique as well.”

Photo Credit: Sophia Arredondo | The ASP

At exactly 12:15 p.m., the crowd gathered for the event’s signature moment , the “campus crunch,” biting into crisp, New York-grown apples all at once. The collective “crunch” symbolized UAlbany’s shared commitment to sustainability, local food and community.

This year’s Campus Crunch proved that sustainability can be both educational and delicious. The UAlbany community continues to show how small, mindful choices can make a big impact.