Despite the drawbacks of the pandemic, activities on campus have been thriving and providing connection for students.

Recent campus events included the “Create a Creature” event on Jan. 8 and the Plant Your Own Succulent event in fall quarter. 

“Most of our events have been really well-attended,” Assistant Director of Campus Activities Robbi Goninan said. “I think students and community members are excited and ready to have things to do.”

Emily Baker, a junior in psychology, said their favorite event during the pandemic was by far the “Create a Creature” event in the SURC ballroom. They brought their roommate along for the experience.

“I made a penguin and he made a giraffe. We decorated their T-shirts and it was so fun,” Baker said. “It was probably one of the more popular events on campus I’ve been to.”

According to Ethan Wanless, a senior in physics, the event drew such a crowd that students eventually stopped being admitted because they ran out of supplies.

“Create a Creature is the first event I’ve been to in a long time,” Wanless said. “It was packed, there was a crazy long line that wrapped all the way back to almost the starting point.”

With all the success of recent events, Goninan said she was even more excited for future plans, more specifically, an event led by Chicago artist Dancake Pancakes.  

“They’ll come in and make cartoon characters or superheroes in a pancake form,” Goninan said. “It’s edible art.”

All campus events require facial coverings and social distancing as usual, especially events involving food like the pancake event where masks may not always be in use, Goninan said.

“Take and make” activities give students an option to stay socially-distanced while still offering an outlet for socialization, according to Goninan. The upcoming “Take and Make” String Art event on Jan. 22 will allow students to participate remotely if needed.

“Students who want to come in person can come in person and those who want to come pick up their kit and take it home can absolutely do that as well,” Goninan said. 

Goninan encourages students to reach out to Campus Activities if they have any ideas for future events or art projects. 

“If students have an event, or maybe they have a friend at another institution that’s doing something, I am always excited to hear some of the creativity that students have or some of the sharing that they’ve been doing to keep themselves in good mental health,” Goninan said. 

Campus Activities plans to collaborate with the Recreation Center on lots of fun late-night activities during the week of Jan. 31 – Feb. 5. in the SURC, according to Goninan.

“We’re going to try to create our own Squid Games, and we’re going to have a Tacky Prom, and we’re going to do bad movie bingo,” Goninan said. 

Goninan said she hopes students will participate in more events and make sure they are taking care of themselves by keeping in touch with other people.

“It has to get better,” Goninan said. “We’ve just got to keep moving forward, being engaged and helping each other out.”