UCSD’s Kirklanders scarf down mountain of Costco chicken, building on rotisserie tradition

Kexim Li held up her completed chicken after the feast finished. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

UC San Diego students scarfed down 60 Costco rotisserie chickens, continuing a four-year “legacy” tradition that has become an end-of-year staple.

They also watched a passing of the drumstick, er, torch.

Jacob Hoang, the second president of the UCSD Costco Club, woke up before the sun to carry a mountain of chicken from the original Costco on Morena Boulevard to campus.

“Today, I’m standing in front of you at the Epstein Family Amphitheatre as a graduating senior,” Hoang said. “There is no version of my college experience that makes sense without this club. None.”

Jacob Hoang, Costco Club president, addresses the crowd at the Epstein Amphitheater. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

With the campus acronym often re-purposed as “UC Socially Dead,” over 200 students crowded in Friday to combat that reputation with the chicken tradition. Hoang thanked Johnny Gong, the first club president “who looked at a $4.99 rotisserie chicken and saw a movement.” Anticipation was sky high, even if attendance has declined since Gong’s first feast in 2023.

The UCSD Costco Club brought 60 rotisserie chickens for the Friday event. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

Representatives from the Morena Costco were among the crowd, there to hand out snacks and sign students up for new memberships. 

“Jacob comes into our location all the time,” said a company representative. “He’s reached out to several of our leaders, so we wanted to come out and support him.” CEO Ron Vachris would have joined, but had to attend a new warehouse opening in Mexico, according to Hoang.

Kexim Li took the stage before the first bite, introduced as next year’s club president. A third-year international business student, Li was instrumental in forming a working relationship with Costco.

Li plans to host more campus food-themed events. Next year will likely feature a $1.50 hot dog eating competition – an item and price Costco’s founder Jim Sinegal has strongly defended since 1985, threatening to kill the CEO before Vachris if it were to ever change.

Standing side by side before the crowd, Hoang and Li began the feast.

Jacob Hoang, Costco Club president, right, and Kexim Li, next year's president, chow down on whole chickens at UCSD's Epstein Amphitheater. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

When the wings were done, the leaders carried the dripping carcasses into the stands. Two new transfer students were among the first to receive chicken.

Aiden Holmes, a third year student studying mechanical engineering, said there was no way he could eat a whole chicken, but was ready to try.

“There’s more people here than I expected!” Holmes said, shocked to learn that prior years’ crowds dwarfed what he saw before him.

Jacob Hoang, Costco Club president, feeding student Aiden Holmes a piece of rotisserie chicken at the Epstein Amphitheater. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

Joey Serrano, another third-year transfer, won a raffled-off rotisserie chicken, saying “It’s literally a dream come true; it’s magical. This is what living is about. I’m actually hitting my protein!”

Student Joey Serrano points to Darth Vader after receiving a raffled-off rotisserie chicken. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

Serrano spotted a new arrival to the amphitheater, UCSD’s very own Darth Vader – taking a break from evil to promote a new fan film, “Vader: Whiteout.” The dark lord made sure there was no more life in the chickens before handing them out to students, even enjoying some himself through his mask.

UCSD’s Darth Vader force-chokes a rotisserie chicken. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

UCSD's Darth Vader is fed chicken through his mask. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

Hoang uncovered the wishbone as he continued chewing, stopping to break it with Li. Silence fell over the crowd. The snap rang out. Hoang had won the larger piece, just like last time.

“I feel the years hitting me,” Hoang said. “I couldn’t eat the last chicken. I had to pass it, like a torch, to another Kirklander – not just an officer (but) my upcoming president.”

A challenge concluded the event: catch some chicken, win a Costco membership. Many students tried, most failed, but organizers handed out all the prizes anyway.

As the final drumstick disappeared, grease-covered students dispersed, returning to lectures and dorms across campus.

A student attempts to earn a Costco membership by catching a piece of chicken with his mouth. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)

» Originally published by Times of San Diego and La Jolla Village News on May 18, 2026.