Faculty Association giving away free pizza during finals week

With final exams looming on the horizon, the Faculty Association union plans to bring some much-needed stress relief to students in the form of free pizza.

At 8 p.m. on May 8, the faculty association will hand out 1,040 slices of pizza to students in the Towers Residential Halls lobby.

"The Faculty Association gives out pizza as a way of letting the students know that we care about them," Ericksen said "It is a great way for us to connect with the students and let them know that we are thinking about them as they begin their final examination week."

This is the second semester the Faculty Association, which represents tenured and full faculty members, has given out pizzas during finals week. Math professor and membership officer Donna Ericksen said the association will be ordering a total of 130 pizzas.

Last year, the pizzas were gone in nearly 20 minutes, she said.

The pizza will be provided by Little Caesars, where professors will receive a discount. Towers staff will provide tables and trash bags are set up for the association before they arrive.

Pontiac freshman Charice Craft said she got a couple of free slices last semester, a handy comfort food during finals week.

"Even though it is just free pizza, having some type of joy during finals week really helped me with my mood and can have an impact on well I studied," Craft said.

For Pittsburgh sophomore Andrea DeLong, the simple act of decompressing with a fresh slice after a long final exam is paramount to a student's sanity during the week.

"It is so important to de-stress over finals week because it is not healthy to be so stressed out so much," DeLong said. "Doing simple stress relieving things help me become more successful in my exams."

The pizza is free and is served on a first come, first serve basis.