Students had a tree-mendous time at “You Grow, Redbird!” on Tuesday in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.
“You Grow Redbird!” was hosted by Event Management, Dining and Hospitality (EMDH), along with six other ISU organizations to celebrate Earth Day and provide a break for students before finals.
Students had the opportunity to pot their own plant, complete coloring sheets and learn about taking care of themselves at a self-care station.
EMDH Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Samantha Schultz emphasized the importance of student self-care and its relation to this event.
“Doing something like [this] gives [students] an opportunity to treasure Earth and treasure where they live,” Schultz said.
“Then, they have to go on and keep thinking about it; they have to water their plant and give it sunlight, something that they should also be doing for themselves,” Schultz continued.
In previous years, the event was the Succulent Cafe, but Schultz discussed why they changed it.
“This year we rebranded to ‘You Grow, Redbird!’ because we try to add a wellness component to all of our events now, and it opened it up to what kind of plants we could use,” Schultz said. “We also partnered with the Multicultural Center to spread the word to more people.”
Senior recreation and sports management major Clara Nesvacil appreciated the opportunity to destress on Earth Day.
“I think it’s a good reminder to take care of our planet, that’s what Earth Day is all about,” Nesvacil said.
Sophomore occupational health and safety major Kaytlyn McGray highlighted the need for students to take a break from schoolwork at this time of the year.
“It gives people a sense of escape, and people are able to come here and not worry about a test they have to do later,” McGray said.
McGray liked being able to pot a plant and taking care of something that benefits the planet.
“We are able to give back to the community, planting our own plants and being able to house a plant rather than ripping it up from where it is,” McGray said.
Schultz was happy with the turnout of students and said students were still arriving after an hour of being open.
This was the last EMDH event of the semester, but Schultz encourages students to follow Redbird Life for updates.
“We will be having a ton of fun things coming up in the fall, hopefully we will have a concert in the fall as well, but we’ll keep everyone in the know,” Schultz said.
