The latest event in the Illini Union’s Crafts and Snacks series, Birthday Cupcakes and Bracelets, occurred on Thursday. The event offered accessible creative outlets and quick bites with free entry for University students.
The Crafts and Snacks series has been running at the Union for over five years, attracting both casual members and eventual Illini Union Board candidates.
“We’ve got a lot of people to join our board or just become friends with us. It’s been a lot of great community building,” said Payton Cimino, junior in LAS and vice president of policy for the Union Board.
“In my freshman year, there was an event called Succulents and Salsa, and I thought it was awesome,” Cimino said. “I started going to the events constantly, and it was always a lot of fun.”
Activities like the Crafts and Snacks series are a mainstay for the Union Board, and students can take advantage of the midweek free time to socialize and relax.
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Located in the Illini Union Underground, the series is an opportunity for students to express themselves through various media.
“It’s just good if you don’t know what to do on campus,” Cimino said. “Say you’re new here, maybe you don’t like to party or you don’t have an RSO. There’s a free event you can go to as a student.”
Events like Crafts and Snacks can serve as both a common interest and a creative outlet for newer students like Michae Rush, freshman in Social Work.
“I like making my own individual bracelet,” Rush said. “I like coming to all of these events.”
Simple crafts can be an opportunity for connecting with other students, and common interests often emerge when working on projects like dreamcatchers or flower crowns.
“Some people come through with these beautiful designs, and then other people come through with Bonnie from ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’” Cimino said. “It’s always fun to see people’s personalities come out.”
The Crafts and Snacks series will continue on select Thursdays throughout the semester, with specific events like Matcha and Miniverse or Tiramisu and Tumblers appearing soon. With a line forming almost immediately for Birthday Cupcakes and Bracelets, students stuck around until the event’s end.
Students like Hunter Fazio, senior in LAS, come to the events to explore new creative avenues.
“I like making art, and this is a nice opportunity to go and do something that I normally wouldn’t do,” Fazio said.
With recurring events like these, the Union Board gathers a consistent audience, with many students coming to each event in the series.
The Crafts and Snacks series is only one of the Union’s recurring events, and its social environment and fun themes make it a staple for all kinds of creatives.
Students can catch the next event in the series, Açai and Adult Coloring Books, on Feb. 19. With an activity as consistently social as Crafts and Snacks, students can always try a new aspect of campus life.
“If you’re brand new, if you’re scared or you don’t know anyone, it’s a lot of fun to come here and make new friends,” Cimino said. “It’s always really cool to have something where I can bond with people.”
