A break from the school routine is always appreciated, even just a few weeks into the school year. The Campus Activities Council (CAC) provided an excellent opportunity for students to put down the homework and pick up a paint brush with this year’s first Paint ‘N Sip. In years past, students have gathered in the Student Life Center for an hour of painting and as the name would imply, sipping. CAC generously supplies brushes, paint, and canvases so students have a chance to flex their creative muscles. Of course, the free drink from Common Grounds (funded by CAC) is perhaps a bigger draw for some students. Anyone who has attended a Paint ‘N Sip is familiar with the line that forms almost immediately at 8 o’clock, the event’s scheduled start time. This year’s first Paint ‘N Sip had an incredible turnout, with a sizable line forming for not only the drinks, but also the paint. Long tables were set up in the Hall of Nations to accommodate the crowd.
When asked about the event, Co-president of CAC Mathew Lawson said, “It went great … I was very pleased with the turnout.” CAC had just ordered new paints for the event, avoiding any problems with supply. Looking forward to the next Paint N’ Sip, Lawson noted, “We plan to move the tables to the center [of the Hall] and have two lines [for paint] on both sides.” This is in an effort to shorten the time it takes to get paint, so students have more time to actually paint.
Trivia Night is another CAC event that sees regular attendance every year. The very first trivia night was held on August 23, before most students even arrived on campus. Despite this, around six teams of six players each went head to head for the prize of Amazon gift cards, rather than the usual Common Grounds gift cards. The first place team each received ten dollar gift cards with smaller prizes for second and third place. Lawson was also pleased with the turn out for Trivia although he thinks the questions have room for improvement. “We are building a committee of five to six people to work on the questions,” increased from the usual two. Lawson hopes this will keep trivias interesting and engaging for students.
CAC is working to make Trivia Night and Paint ‘N Sip regular occurrences, alternating week to week. The next Paint ‘N Sip is set to be held on September 18th, a Thursday. This is a change from the traditional Tuesday schedule that Lawson and the CAC hopes will allow some students to attend who are not able to make it on Tuesday nights. If students would like to check what events like Paint ‘N Sip are happening each week, EMU Student Programs sends out an email with a schedule of activities.
