Florida A&M University’s Efferson Student Union and Activities hosted an R&B and Paint event in the Grand Ballroom for FAMU students to celebrate women during Women’s History Month.
The room was full of smiling faces and music provided by DJ Savage. The event was packed, as a majority of the seats in the venue were taken. Food was provided by Metz, which included chicken wings and meatballs. After eating, students began painting.
The goal was to follow the instructor to paint a picture of the faces of two women. The individual who had the best picture, chosen by a social media poll, would win a $50 gift card. Ultimately, that was the goal, but some students were more creative with their pictures and painted other images such as a colorful peacock, a Scream mask from the horror film, and a canvas of fruit.
In the eyes of Percy Henry, the Volunteering Service Leadership Coordinator, the event was a success. The purpose of the event was “to highlight Women’s History Month and show appreciation for what they have done in the past and what they will do in the future.”
Some students began showing frustrations after falling behind the instructor, however, they did not stop painting. They chose to persevere to complete their picture.
“The women here were resilient in their effort and that speaks to the overall contribution of women,” said Henry. “There were struggles in the beginning, and they pushed through, not knowing whether they would make it to the end. What started out not so beautiful came out to be a masterpiece.”
The instructor for the event, Vardyce Gaines, the official artist for FAMU’s Office of Student Affairs, stood front and center as he guided the students as they painted.
“R&B and Paint is new to this campus, “ Gaines said. “I will definitely be doing more events like this in the future.”
This will please many students like Laila Smith, a freshman pre-veterinary science major, who was chosen as one of the finalists for the $50 gift card with her peacock painting.
Brielle Haye, a freshman psychology major was entertained throughout the event. “The artist and DJ were interactive and we were provided all the necessary materials for the painting,” Haye said.
Creative events like this are good for freshman involvement for students.