Student Life hosted a painting event on the second floor of the Student Union. Large tables held brushes, palettes, acrylic paints, canvases, paper towels and pieces for students to paint and give to Puente to make Christmas tree toppers for the Dec. 3 Winter Ball. It was an opportunity to help decorate for the Winter Ball and also take part in a fun activity. The event took place on December 2nd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gemhali Bothi, a student life officer, oversaw the event and even attended.
“So Student Life felt we should take a week to help students clear their minds before exams,” Bothi said. A group of friends came over and painted on canvases. Some used a ready-made canvas with a subject to paint on. Others used a blank canvas and painted the designs freehand with a pencil before painting on the colors. They socialize, share supplies and show each other their artwork, proud of their work.
Caitlin Page, a journalism major, said, “I paint a lot at home, 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 skills she had acquired through practice. The students often chatted with themselves, swapping jokes and chatting about the quiet 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 student. He painted a pre-made landscape design with trees and a large lake. He mixed the brown, green and blue paint in his palette and carefully dabbed the paint into 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 other than that I had a good time,” Jones said.
Although the painting event was small, it helped students relax and spend time with their friends through a calming, calming activity.
“It's very clear that they want some sort of school spirit and I think we're doing a really good job of that. Feel free to tell us what you'd like to see in the future,” Bothi said.