By Katherine Hepburn and Kate Dempsey
To celebrate the poetic and heartfelt Valentine’s Day, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) hosted a Heart & Art Bash on Feb. 14 in the Tow Center Lobby. The event was a collaboration between USG and Brooklyn College’s Sustainability Club to provide BC students with a Valentine’s Day full of love and sustainability.
According to organizers of the event, the goal was to not only provide a fun way for students to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit, but to also engage students in sustainable practices by explaining the importance of continued efforts to help the environment.
“Our aim was to demonstrate that sustainability isn’t just vital—it’s also fun and engaging,” Sofia Maryiamis, president of the Sustainability Club, told The Vanguard. “We believe that through hands-on experiences like planting and learning about sustainable resources, we can inspire a greater commitment to environmental stewardship among students.”
Compost, soil, and plants were provided by Lisa Bloodgood, a professor in the Urban Sustainability Department who also serves as the Director of Horticulture & Stewardship for the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBK). NBK is an environmental advocacy organization that works to preserve parks and make them accessible for all community populations, according to their mission statement.
“The compost came from a partnership NBK Parks has with Big Reuse, where they deliver compost to us for use and to share with our larger community,” Bloodgood told The Vanguard. “The soil is a mix we make in house that includes the following amendments: Big Reuse compost, hemp mulch donated from a farm upstate, and perlite. Two students came to Under the K Bridge Park in Greenpoint where we have these materials stored, and where we also have our Native Plant nursery, seed production plots, and other experimental projects.”
The event was filled with smiles and laughter as it welcomed students to paint the succulent pots, and listen to music, all while passing pizza and drinks around the room. Everywhere in the room was adorned with love: Valentine’s Day decor embellished the walls, and rose petals ornamented the floor. Students dipped their brushes into the heart-shaped bowls to paint their own decoration of love.
“I liked the atmosphere, and the music was great and fitting for the day,” Leyani Bryant, a freshman at BC, told The Vanguard. “The most memorable part about it was being with my friends laughing and painting together. It was also cool to learn about the sustainability aspect of this too.”
For many of the attendees, the event served as a way to connect with others as they continued their spring semester.
“It was an event full of creativity as we all painted our pots together, and were able to make memories and moments of togetherness and laughter for a holiday that’s filled with color and connection,” Lawrence Tsinvksky, a senior at BC, told The Vanguard.
To the organizers of the event, seeing everyone come together learning about sustainable practices meant that their goal was achieved.
“The Valentine’s Heart & Art Bash was really special. Not only did it create a space for over 200 students to paint together, but it also let them do so while engaging with sustainable practices,” Dylan Karlowski, USG Events Director and a senior at BC, told The Vanguard.
Each student left the event with their painted pot and succulent, not only a reminder of the event, but as a reminder of the roots grown of love at campus.
“The Heart & Art Bash was a labor of love,” Karlowski told The Vanguard, “which I think fit the spirit of the holiday perfectly.”