By Emma Duncan, education reporter
One year after its launch, The Chillfield has changed how Virginia Tech students find entertainment, bringing events to Hokies where they are through mobile programming.
Designed by Ben Evans, lead engagement engineer at Student Engagement and Campus Life, The Chillfield uses interactive activities to connect students to campus partners and each other. The truck hosts events in Blacksburg once a week, at the Roanoke campus once a month and in the D.C. area once a semester.
Hokies can play Tetris Tumble or Connect 4, compete in Nintendo Switch games, customize tote bags and koozies using a heat press, decorate vinyl records and more. In its first year, The Chillfield hosted approximately 52 events and reached over 10,000 students. Jazmyne Barron, coordinator for student experiences, shares her team’s highlights from year one and aspirations for the future.
[This interview was edited for clarity and content.]
What gap did The Chillfield fill in the SECL office?
During the pandemic, there was a large gap in student programming. It was harder to engage students because we needed to follow safety guidelines like social distancing. As we transitioned into a more normal sense of campus life and programming, we noticed it was harder to get students to come to things because they hadn’t been doing anything for such a long time. So, the idea was to go to them instead.
Think back to The Chillfield’s very first event. How did you feel when it ended?
The Chillfield’s very first event was the launch party. Honestly, I had no real expectations at the time. The event ended up being very successful and ran smoothly. We hosted it on the Drillfield and had a lot of different activities available, some of which have become staples in our programming. I think it really set a positive tone for what was to come in the year ahead.
Can you share a story that illustrates the impact of The Chillfield?
When the truck launched, we were a team of three undergraduate students and one graduate student assistant. Now, our team has doubled. One of those undergraduate students, Filip DeHaven, is now my graduate assistant. Seeing them grow from last year to this year has been very rewarding.
We wanted to culminate all our success during the first year into our first birthday party, which was a collective effort. Each of my student staff put all of themselves into that event for it to be so successful. I think it really shows how they are passionate about this work and want to share fun experiences with other students. They continue to return every semester and I’m proud to work with them.
What have you and your team learned about designing events that resonate with students across such diverse schedules and interests?
When you work in student programming, it’s important to ask yourself how you can create an experience for everybody. We try to provide a variety of options for people, some that are very low stakes, like our grab-and-go goodies, but also opportunities for people to sit with their friends and do a fun craft. We try to play around with the times to reach different students and allow everyone to attend our events.
Has there been an activity or event that didn’t work as planned? What did the team learn from that experience?
I can definitely say weather is our biggest enemy. Our most recent event, National Lego Day, was supposed to be outside. However, we had to shift inside because of the huge snowstorm.
When we’re hosting events on the Drillfield, a little bit of wind can make everything go flying. Even if the forecast is decent, wind can keep students away. The weather definitely keeps us on our toes.
As you enter year two, what are your biggest goals for The Chillfield?
Our team is trying to constantly think outside the box. My student employees really want to bring in new people and expand what we can offer. We have our favorites that we know the truck can easily do, but I think we’re getting to a point where we’re ready to branch out. A new location could help us reach hundreds of new students. My personal goal is to eventually start working with some community partners.
I read that enhancements like a better backup camera and accessible storage are being discussed. What is the status of these upgrades and how will they improve events or operations?
The Chillfield is a pretty old truck, so many parts are outdated. Over the break, we got new seats installed and the dashboard rewired with CarPlay. The heating and conditioning actually work now; that’s very nice to have. We are working to get a new horn installed that will play the intro to “Enter Sandman.” We also installed a jump seat in the back for when we’re driving around campus. The truck has its quirks, and we’ve learned to work with them.
In March, you and Ben will be presenting at the 2026 NASPA conference. What does it mean to bring The Chillfield story to a national audience, and what do you hope other campuses take away from it?
I’m only a year and a half out of graduate school and I’m presenting at a national conference, which, to me, is insane. Our goal is to provide these campuses with a packet of resources and say, ‘Here’s what we did, take it, replicate it with what works for you.’ We’ll make a point to tell people that you don’t need this big truck to do mobile programming if you’re on a smaller campus. You could build out a really cool golf cart. Our emphasis is make it work for your campus.
As someone who has worked with The Chillfield since its first event, how do you hope you feel one year from now?
This is gonna sound funny, but it’s true. Every time we’re out, students love to come up to us and ask what food we’re serving. I’m trying to sell this idea that we’re not a food truck, but a fun truck. I hope that, by the time we’re entering year three, people know that we’re not a food truck. We like to make jokes and make light of the situation that we’re in. However, we purposefully avoid food for our events.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
The Chillfield is truly one of a kind. It’s not on any other campus, which I think is really cool. Going to one of our events should be a bucket list item for students during their time here, especially since, if they decided to attend another school, they would never get a Chillfield experience.
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