By: Rami Mansi
In the Bedford room of the Student Center, tables were lined with paper, bottles of paint, and small orange pots that were waiting to be designed by attendees.
Hosted on March 31 by the Brooklyn College (BC) TREEage Club and the BC Sustainability Club, “Paint & Plant” let students and attendees decorate flowerpots, and provided them with seeds and soil to complete the foundation of a growing potted plant.
“We want people to kind of have a nice pastime, paint, relax, and de-stress, but also be calm through the nature, through the smell of the soil, through the feeling of the seeds as they’re potting and planting,” said Leila M. Tazi, president and Campus Organizer for BC TREEage.
Tazi’s fellow E-Board member, Julia Purrazzella, added to this sentiment of de-stressing, emphasizing the need for the chance to grow one’s own food.
“We are giving out seeds for basil and dill to encourage food sovereignty as well. Having access to [growing your own plants] in a fun way, with painting your pots.”
Each attendee was given a pot to decorate, and paints were passed around and shared communally from table to table. Light refreshments and pizza were also passed around for the attendees’ enjoyment. Attendees’ designs ranged from radiant reds and sunsets, while others went for passionate purples and bright blues.
BC senior Shania Clarke chose her designs based on what she experienced as the seasons changed.
“I got my design from the weather today. I was really thinking about how it’s springtime. My design is inspired by the cherry blossoms in bloom, and just on a nice sunny day for spring.”
On the other end of the artistic spectrum, BC student Allen Espinal went another route when designing his pot.
“I am basically going for a more rustic feel. I definitely want to add the evil eye in my design as well.”
Emphasizing the event’s mission for expression, Purrazzella spoke on the intersection between art and nature.
“[Attendees] are planning things and can express themselves however they want, while designing these pots themselves.”
Clarke came to this event with the intention of finding the peaceful gusts of wind in the storm that is her senior year.
“It’s midterm season and just before break, [the semester] gets really hectic and stressful. So I saw [this event] on Bulldog Connection and decided to attend to just really destress with painting, and enjoy the lovely spring weather.”
Purrazzella, a junior studying Urban Sustainability with a concentration in Environmental Science, hopes attendees walk out of the event with a refreshed sense of community and a newly painted pot.
“[TREEage] tries to hold monthly events on campus and [events] off campus as well. Earlier this month, we had the day of action in Albany,” Purrazzella shared with The Vanguard.
“So just having a sense of community on campus, and [having] somewhere you can come to talk about issues, while also just having a laid back and relaxed time.”
For more information about TREEage and the Sustainability Club, visit their respective Instagrams: @bc_treeage_club and @bcsustainabilityclub.