Students and faculty gathered on the challenge course lawn with tents and sleeping bags Sept. 21 and started setting up for what would be a night full of camping and activities. 

The campout started with a Yoga lesson taught by True Alisandre where students and faculty could stretch out their bodies and minds. 

Alisandre not only gave the class an introduction to Yoga, but he also had a light meditation session at the end of the class. Alisandre used a sound bowl and had the students close their eyes while he played the bowl with the simple instructions: “Just listen to the sounds around you now, nothing from the past or future.”

Riva Brown, associate professor of public relations at UCA, took part in yoga with students and said, “I loved seeing students release stress, have fun and increase the peace. I look forward to next year.”

After the Yoga session, WHO set up a bracelet booth for students to make bracelets for themselves and for children in Syria. 

The bracelets, also known as kandi, could say anything such as “Peace and Love” or even something as simple as “UCA,” with many colorful beads and charms to add on.

Students had the option to choose if they would like to make a bracelet for themselves or donate a bracelet they made to a child in Syria.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force sponsors UCA’s International Day of Peace, and the organization will work to get the bracelets sent to the children. 

Justice Grice, a worker at the kandi booth, said that she was excited to bring positivity to UCA and shine a light on current issues with Syria. 

While some students continued making bracelets, some tried their luck on the rock climbing wall as part of the challenge course. 

Workers from the HPER Center gave students everything they needed to climb the wall, including keeping the area lit since it was so dark outside. 

For three hours students could do some rock climbing in the semi-dark and take their chance to make it to the top of the wall, which many students successfully did. 

While most of the students kept busy with kandi making or rock climbing, HPER workers started setting up the fan-favorite part of the night: the s’more station.

Even though Conway lifted the burn ban recently, UCA had one in place so workers had to get creative on how to make s’mores without a regular fire. 

Workers set up the s’more station with a little twist, instead of a bonfire to roast marshmallows, students could now grab a marshmallow and dip it in warm chocolate fondue.

There were other supplies such as graham crackers and even peanut butter wafers.

After students filled up on their s’mores, many played volleyball before they headed to bed.

Though the volleyball courts were just a short distance from the challenge course, students stayed close to their tents for the night and used the challenge course fence as their volleyball net. 

Students continued to play volleyball until around 11 p.m. when most headed to their tents to relax.

Some students were still making bracelets at their tents with some of the leftover beads from the kandi booth, while others were sitting around the fondue talking with one another.

Around 12-1 a.m. many students headed to bed where they would sleep in tents provided by the HPER Center for the night.

The campout ended at 6 a.m. the next morning, concluding UCA’s International Day of Peace.