The University of Tampa’s Spartan Market is a potential annual event where vendors come to sell and promote their products. It is an excellent opportunity for students to purchase and support small businesses around the Tampa area. The Spartan Market is a collaboration event with the Black Student Union, Campus Crowns, and other organizations, such as the Office of Diversity and the UT’s Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
The hope for this event’s success is to become an annual event. Tampa is a small city area with many small businesses that can use the help of students to stay in the industry. Students can also benefit from small businesses. With better practices come better products.
Daphne Branner, a senior majoring in international business and management, thinks it is excellent because it allows students to sell their products and grow their businesses after graduation. It provides them with a base clientele. Making a relationship with small business owners can help future UT entrepreneurs. The vendors can help students build their businesses and give them the advice to help them succeed in the future.
Small businesses also provide job opportunities for students on campus, giving them a chance to work.
Colin MacDonald, a graduate student majoring in entrepreneurship at UT, believes that it is a good idea as it helps students with the passion and knowledge to create their businesses to know whether or not it is the right decision for them.
The Black Student Union (BSU) hosted the event to promote specifically black vendors around the Tampa area. While UT is a predominantly white school, black students attend, and the BSU wanted to support them and see people who look like them around the area.
Jazmine Jackson, a Black sophomore student majoring in allied health, said that she would like to see more events like the Spartan Market because she felt more welcomed on campus, with seeing more people who want her on campus. She also felt more respected when it was Black vendors. Jazmine was judged and searched when she attended a majority-white farmers market. A vendor at a market she attended went through Jazmine’s bag, accusing her of stealing.
Jazmine has had an experience many black students and people go through. The Spartan Market allows students to avoid difficult experiences like Jazmine went through and helps them find places where they can feel safe to shop and support.
The hope for many clubs that collaborated in the making and success of the event is for it to become annual, so students may continue supporting small businesses around Tampa.
