UConn business students teamed up with Luis Diaz, also known as “Soop Doop Guy” to create stickers for students.
Business students at the University of Connecticut have teamed up to create and sell stickers of Luis Diaz, who is better known as the “Soop Doop Guy” who works in the Student Union, according to seventh-semester business management and turfgrass science double major Matt Ternullo.
The project, which was assigned in a management course called, “Opportunity Generation, Assessment, and Promotion,” is a joint effort between Ternullo and students Ellen Chikiros, Sydney Wojeski, Kat Fletcher and Giana DiNatale.
“We had a class project that required us to provide as much value as possible selling something legally in two weeks,” Ternullo said.
Ternullo said originally, he did not anticipate such positive feedback on the stickers, which caused his team to have to double their original order in anticipation for the demand.
“We originally planned on purchasing 100 stickers to limit the risk of purchasing more than we sell,” Ternullo said. “After receiving hundreds of reactions on my Buy or Sell post and close to 70 preorders in the first 24 hours, we decided to double the order to 200.”
Diaz expressed support when the group contacted him to ask if they could use a picture of his typical thumbs-up selfie for the sticker, Ternullo said.
“He responded in the most Luis way possible, saying, ‘No problem God Bless and good luck on everything soop doop get it!! And thank you for everything you guys are doing,’” Ternullo said. “After informing him he would most definitely be getting a sticker once they come in, he responded, ‘Good luck on everything soop doop wooo.’”
Diaz expressed his gratitude towards the students and their efforts and said his goal is to make people happy through his interactions with them.
“I feel so good I could do something for anyone that needs it,” Diaz said. “I love giving that positivity, I always wake up thanking God for another day of power.”
Because Ternullo’s initiative is for a course, the students are not allowed to give Diaz any of the money made from the stickers.
“We’re giving him a couple stickers, but there’s not much we can do with him being a state employee,” Ternullo said. “Also, everything is going to HuskyThon, so no one is profiting off of him besides HuskyThon, which are two UConn staples: Luis/Soop Doop and HuskyThon.”
Third-semester economics and human rights double major Taylor Coonan said she feels that the stickers represent a UConn tradition.
“He’s a UConn ‘iconn’ and something to look forward to in the Union,” Coonan said. “At such a big school, even when you know nobody in the crowded Union, you know him and it’s enough.”
Those interested in purchasing remaining stickers must Venmo $2 to @mternullo30. Pick up times are tomorrow tentatively from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the School of Business lounge. Updates will be posted on the Buy or Sell UConn Tickets Facebook.
Taylor Harton is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached by email at taylor.harton@uconn.edu.
