This past Friday, Oct. 16, the Marbeck Center Board held a Pumpkin Palooza event at Bassett Plaza which students could attend and make fall/Halloween themed decorations for their rooms. Along with the decorations, attendees could sit around the fire pit and drink the served apple cider.
After arriving, students were greeted with pumpkins, ceramic leaves and skulls, pumpkin-shaped picture frames and the opportunity to create their own stress ball. There were paints, glitter, googly eyes, sharpies and stickers that could be used to decorate whatever they chose.
Kayla McSwords painting her ceramic skull. Photo by Olivia Westcott.
Kayla McSwords, secretary of Marbeck Center Board, was one of the co-coordinators for the event.
“I think this is a fun event,” said McSwords. “I was really looking forward to it; I was one of the people that helped come up with the idea for this event. I just enjoy crafts a lot.”
Adam Shanaman is a junior who attended the palooza. Shanaman said he came out since he likes messing with paint even though “he gets dirty.” He said the event was a nice deferral from everything going on.
Adam Shanaman painting his ceramic skull. Photo by Olivia Westcott.
“It’s a nice break from classes and the world in general,” said Shanaman.
With the Protect the Dam measures going on at the university, events are being held outside whenever possible and with the weather permitting.
The palooza is normally held in Bob’s Place inside of the Marbeck Center since this is around the time where the weather starts to get colder. McSwords thought there would be an even better turnout if they were able to come together in the normal spot.
Along with McSwords, Elizabeth Rockwell is another member of Marbeck Center Board and one of the other co-coordinators present at the event.
Along with Shanaman, Rockwell agreed the event is a nice way to help take people’s mind off of school work and have fun.
Events like the palooza are held with the intent to get students out there and meet the rest of their peers whom they might not know.
These events also serve as an outlet for fun and to help put students’ minds somewhere else for a little while away from schoolwork.
Students can keep up to date on the next upcoming events by checking their bluffton.edu emails for the weekly Student Community Connection email, which tells what events are happening during said week as well as the upcoming events for nearing days.
If students have suggestions for events they can contact the chair of Marbeck Center Board, Bri Baker, at bakbrb@bluffton.edu or contact the president of student senate, Meghan Ream, at reamta@bluffton.edu.
