On Friday, the African Student Association (ASA) hosted a Paint n’ Sip event in the Student Innovation Center to strengthen the community before prep week.
The event featured music, food, chai tea and painting. Many members turned out to appreciate the community-based atmosphere which incorporated both tranquility and creativity through the painting prompt; “The moon is writing a letter to the earth, illustrate its words.”
Attendees and members took the opportunity to follow the prompt, while others simply decided to fully embrace their creativity and let their imaginations flow. All kinds of art were encouraged, which lent itself to the aspect of strengthening bonds between students.
“A night like this, it’s a time to come together, have fun,” Natasha Kallon, event coordinator for the ASA and sophomore in interior design, said. “It’s our last night for this semester.”
Kallon also spoke about the importance of having a night for students to relax and paint during finals season.
“This is a family kind of space that we’re in, where we laugh, we have fun, we make memories, you know we look forward to the future, so it’s just supposed to be good vibes,” Kallon said.
Kallon made sure to emphasize the family aspect of ASA at Iowa State, which is a predominantly white institution, saying it means a lot to her as an African and Black student. She encourages students who aren’t African to join the ASA to gain new understanding and experiences of other cultures and ethnicities.
While the night was titled ‘Paint n’ Sip,’ some members opted for games instead. New members Grace Braswell, a first-year in the college of engineering, and Molly Folson, a first-year studying supply chain management, played a game of Jenga during the Paint n’ Sip event.
“So, I’m in ASA even though I’m African American,” Braswell said. “I just think this is a great time to learn about African culture because I’ve never experienced that, and I think this club does a really good job of exposing me to something I’ve never seen before, and that’s why I really appreciate it.”
Folson spoke about why she joined ASA.
“I joined because I’m African and I just thought it would be nice to be in a community of Africans that are from different grades, and have different majors and backgrounds,” Folson said. “So I thought it would be a good experience.”
According to attendees, the energy was joyful, lively, loving and relaxing. With prep week turning the corner, minds can be very scattered, but community-based associations and activities can allow everyone to breathe a little deeper and think a little clearer.
In the spring semester, the ASA will continue to host events every other Friday.
To stay updated or to find more information about the African Student Association, visit this website and follow their Instagram page.
