Love was in the air — and stuffing, too — as MTSU students gathered for an early Valentine’s Day celebration in the Student Union Ballroom, creating Valentine’s Day baskets and their own stuffed animals.
Students crowded beneath purple lights and a disco ball to stuff their own plushies. Popular choices from the variety provided by SPARE and New Student & Family Programs included beavers, frogs, llamas and highland cows. Similar to the beloved childhood experience at Build-A-Bear, students dropped a pink or red heart into their chosen animal and got to stuffing.
Students waited in an hour-long line on Tuesday to create baskets, either for themselves or a loved one. These heart-shaped baskets included face masks, hand lotion, lip balm, bubbles and, of course, stuffed animals.
“This is probably one of the biggest events [SPARE] will do in the spring semester,” Hannah Jakes said. “I think this is going to be a successful year for [Build-A-Basket], they chose some really cute stuffed animals.”
Jakes, who is the president of the MTSU Tabletop Club, gathered with two of her friends to create Valentine’s Day baskets. Jakes chose a highland cow while her friends chose llamas and sloths.
As contemporary love songs by Clairo, The 1975 and One Direction serenaded basket-makers, some students participated in a new addition to MTSU’s Valentine’s Day basket event — a photo booth.
This addition reflects the increased popularity of this themed event.
“We tried to double the amount of things we had this year, trying to make sure we had enough supplies and enough critters,” Macee Sprecher, SPARE’s Variety Manager, said. “We had to load everything [on dollies], like, fifty-plus boxes.”
SPARE and New Student & Family Programs prepared to welcome over 400 students into the ballroom. They have worked since winter break to purchase 400 stuffed animals, face masks, bubbles and more.
“I think it’s been our best turnout since we started the event in 2012,” Sprecher said.
Though Valentine’s Day is most commonly known as a celebration of romantic love, plenty of friends gathered together, too. Marina Gatas and three of her friends had a Galentine’s Day as they stuffed matching pink and purple bears.
“I think we should do this again for different events,” Gatas said. “It’s so much fun, it’s nice to gather friends around and do this together.”
As the event ended at 2 p.m., students headed out into the rain with the company of their new, furry friends.
To contact the editor, email [email protected].
Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
