In the midst of midterms, Illinois State University’s Student Alumni Council (SAC) hosted a paint and sip event Thursday for students to unwind.
Painting is known to bring a sense of relief and help destress. SAC brought in ISU alumnus Joe McGuire to teach students the art of painting.
McGuire helped students create their own masterpiece while they sipped on mocktails with their friends.
“I wanted them to be able to escape for a couple of hours,” McGuire said. “It’s tough being a student. We want them to relax.”
Junior publishing studies major Dakota Heatley was able to destress at the event.
“I do find painting very relaxing,” Heatley said. “Not everything has to be serious. The people around me were having so much fun.”
Freshman integrated marketing and communication major Martha Otero believes events like this can be beneficial for self-care.
“I feel like [self-care] is something that a lot of us don’t do,” Otero said.
Students pointed out that SAC providing the supplies made the event more worthwhile.
“I do like that everything was provided,” Heatley said. “It makes it more accessible for students who may not have the supplies.”
Otero discussed what factors made the event more enjoyable.
“Having friends here just made it more fun,” Otero said. “It’s nice being able to laugh and joke around while painting.”
Students were not the only ones who enjoyed themselves. McGuire shared that the students' energy influenced the atmosphere of the event.
“[Painting] is really easy for students to pick up and get excited about,” McGuire said. “We just launched into action and had fun.”
McGuire said students getting involved in ISU events is a very important step in creating lifelong relationships.
“[Getting students] tied into events and things that the university is doing is going to help connect them to alumni, hopefully for many years to come,” McGuire said.
Students and McGuire mentioned the influence of painter Bob Ross on their artistic abilities and paintings.
Heatley recalls watching Ross’s videos in order to get inspiration.
“It made me think about first learning how to paint trees, [and how] certain things should be done,” Heatley said.
Despite some students not having the same abilities as Bob Ross, many left proudly with their painting in hand.
This year marks the third consecutive fall that SAC and McGuire hosted a paint event. The success of each one has brought up the idea of hosting more in the near future.
