Student Life hosted a painting event in the Student Union second floor. Large tables were set up and held brushes, palettes, acrylic paints, canvases, paper towels and pieces that students could paint and give to Puente to make into Christmas tree centerpieces for the Winter Ball on Dec. 3. It was an opportunity to help with decorations for the Winter Ball and also participate in a fun activity. The event was held Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gemhali Bothi, a Student Life worker, oversaw the event and even participated herself.
“So Student Life felt like we should make a week to help students clear their heads before exams,” said Bothi. A group of friends came by and painted on canvases. Some used a premade canvas with a design to paint in. Others used a blank canvas and freehanded the designs with a pencil before painting in the colors. They bond, sharing supplies and showing off their artwork to each other, proud of their work.
Caitlin Page, a journalism major said “I paint at home a lot, I love painting. And it’s a hobby of mine too, so I thought it would be nice to come with my friends,” Page painted mushrooms against a technicolor background, using the skills she had built up through practice. The students often talked to themselves, trading jokes and conversations over the calm activity of painting. Sometimes they fell silent, too absorbed in painting their art. One of the students who enjoyed painting with his friends was Charles Jones, a computer science major. He was painting a premade landscape design featuring trees and a large lake. He mixed the brown, green and blue paint in his palette and delicately dabbed the paint in the middle of the lines.
“I’m having a good time, I like it. I wish I had water. I didn’t think about it before. That probably would have been better for the brushes. But besides that, I had a good time,” said Jones.
The paint event, while small, helped students destress and hang out with their friends through a calming, soothing activity.
“It’s very clear that they do want some sort of school spirit and I think we’re doing a really good job at doing that. Feel free to tell us what you want to see in the future,” said Bothi.
