At Salt Lake Community College, events can be a great way for students to relieve some classroom stress.
The Thayne Center’s DIY stuffed animals event proved to be a great pastime for students, faculty, and staff at the Jordan campus on Feb. 11.
“Some [campuses] get more traction than others,” said Mikalya Loveless, SLCC student and member of the Thayne Center. Loveless said that they host the activity at every campus, although some places such as Herriman can be a bit barren.
“It’s like a ghost town; we go, and we do [the event] for ourselves,” laughed Loveless. “We try to get as many people as we can, there’s not a whole lot of marketing that goes into it. We kind of just come up and show [up].”
Students and staff passed through with excitement, often questioning, “what are ‘we’ doing all this for?” For Loveless, the answer was easy: to give students a break.
“Stress relief, [and] we also just want to give back to the students,” she said. “I feel like all of us work so hard for our degrees, and it’s fun to just make a little stuffed animal.”
Kelly Faber, a graphic communication student, already plans on attending the next stuffed animal event, after stumbling across the activity at the Jordan campus.
“I really liked it a lot, it was fun, the stuffed animals are adorable, and I got to chat with some amazing people. It’s been great,” Faber exclaimed while showing off her newly stuffed friend.
This “just because” event was perfect for a quick stop in between classes, as students could pick out a plushy and stuff their new friend within 15 minutes.
After being encouraged to stay and visit with new peers, many attendees hung around in the calming area, chatting and stuffing their own plush. Loveless and other Thayne Center members encouraged those who couldn’t stop and fully participate to take the fun on the go.
The next DIY stuffed animal event will be held at the Miller campus on March 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the CART building.
