The Latino Student Association hosted Arte Pa’Relajarte to encourage students to relax and be creative in the Ronnie Williams Student Center Jan. 25.
Historian of LSA, senior Jasmin Martinez, proposed the idea of the event and aided in its organization.
“We called it ‘Arte Pa’Relajarte’, which translates to ‘art to relax’, so that’s the concept behind it,” Martinez said.
She got the idea from the SAB Fall Carnival during Homecoming week.
“I love tote bags and there’s this event I won’t forget, the carnival day. They had goat totes, and I use that goat tote all the time,” Martinez said.
Martinez took her love for tote bags and turned it into an event aimed toward creativity.
“People love being creative and being artistic,” Martinez said. “So, it’s like combining totes that can be used again and again, and then making it in their own way.”
Students were able to pick out patches and pins for their tote bags. Markers, paint and stencils were also provided.
Junior Jazmin Sanchez said the event was a break from academic stress.
“There’s not a lot that goes into it, you’re just decorating and you’re having a good time. It gives you a moment to step back from school-related things, and you can just chill out with your friends,” Sanchez said.
Alongside painting tote bags, participants also engaged in a bingo game where they had to match descriptions on the bingo grid to other people in the room. The first person to get five different signatures across their card won the game.
President of LSA, Christopher Velazquez, said the game was meant to get students to mingle with one another and get to know each other better.
Sanchez said she enjoyed the event and being able to see people from the previous semester.
“Especially since it’s spring, there are already a lot of familiar faces and faces I haven’t seen in a good amount of time,” Sanchez said. “It’s like reuniting with a whole bunch of people that I’ve met over the years and over the past semester, so that’s been really nice.”
Secretary of LSA, sophomore Karla Mezquita, said she enjoys the community aspect of the events.
“Our biggest goal is really just to welcome people and let them know about Latinx culture and to come hang out with us,” Mezquita said.
Martinez said the events LSA hosts are a place to promote awareness and bring people together.
“I always love that anyone is welcome and I love when I see Latinos coming and interacting with one another because it is a safe place for them to come and meet new people,” Martinez said.
Velazquez said he wants to get more men involved in the organization.
“Latino men and brown men are underrepresented at UCA, and seeing them be a part of an organization where they can build bonds with other people and talk with them and laugh with them would definitely be a goal,” Velazquez said.
Mezquita said LSA puts a lot of effort into the events they host, so she loves to see people attend.
“I really enjoy seeing everyone interact and having fun because we talk time to plan everything, which sometimes can be a bit stressful,” Mezquita said.
