On Jan. 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the University Program Council (UPC) hosted a charming journaling event at the Guillot University Center (GUC) Performance Center. The organization intended to provide “the perfect time to reflect on the past year and envision what the new year will have to offer.”
The room was meticulously prepared to create a gentle and calming environment, which received many praises from the participants.
Round tables across the Performance Center decorated with candles and black cloth had stickers, colored pens, scrapbooking paper, cheerful phrases, differently shaped scissors, glue, tape, and blank journals for the participants to generate their best creations. The music was a mix of soft Jazz, Lo-fi, and Bossa Nova playing constantly in the background, such as “Mia & Sebastian’s Theme” from La La Land (2016). The food also gave the event a “tea party” aspect with cookies, quiches, mini-pies, and other refreshments.
Sophie Church, a freshman majoring in nursing, expressed her contentment with the experience, “The atmosphere is really calming, I definitely needed this after the snow. I also really like pink; they have a lot of options for it.” Church finalized her project with a pink collage of images and a phrase by the English poet John Keats.
Olivia Britton, a freshman member of the Student Government Association, commented on the outcome of the organization, “It is awesome! UPC does such a good job scheduling things that have everything to do with the month/ season. I really appreciate how they prioritize the students.”
Throughout the evening, one could see how the event provided new friendships when the participants would walk from table to table to exchange materials and conversations.
UPC member Morgan Rakestraw shared the creation process for the event, “We wanted to create an environment that would be chill, cozy, & kind of retro feeling! With the food, we wanted to do fun finger foods. I believe everyone who attended enjoyed the atmosphere we were able to create with these elements!”
Rakestraw claimed that “it is always a great feeling knowing we were able to create an escape for students,” and that the organization is excited about their plans for the Spring 2024 semester.
