Sweet beverages flowed in a purple and red-lit Bush ballroom this past Thursday for the Hamline University Programming Board’s (HUPB) Valentine-making and mocktail event. Tables centered with Valentine-themed stickers and other goodies were full of students hand-crafting cards for their loved ones, particularly first-year Hamline students.
“We try and cater these events to first-years,” said Junior Program Coordinator Nicole De Los Santos, “so they can get a sense [that] college doesn’t just have to be about school work, you can have fun and release your inner child every once in a while.”
With creative-based events in particular, HUPB provides a wide variety of supplies to make any Valentine you can dream of, from glitter and glam to a simpler card.
“[This event] is a really great way to express creativity and passion … something I know a lot of [students] are excited about,” De Los Santos said.
That, and the mocktails are always a big hit. With a menu of love-themed fruity beverages including “Tropical Paradise,” “Berry Passion” and “Love Potion,” this event saw lines for the drink stand nearly non-stop. De Los Santos and Senior Weekend Events Programmer Bri Cook agreed that they have tried to cater mocktails at every event possible.
More and more students continued to trickle into the ballroom to enjoy drinks and craft their Valentines, with romance and love-themed music as a backing track to the fun. From entire friend groups to couples spending their evening together, there was a widespread variety of different types of love all around the room.
“For me, Valentine’s is about the connections I already have with people, and wanting to strengthen those a lot more,” Cook said.
Even with the successful first-year student turnout at this event, there was still a noticeable gap in a particular type of students in attendance. Evening events that take place on campus are generally less accessible to commuter students, who make up just over two-thirds of Hamline’s student body. Cook and De Los Santos both agree that commuter students are an especially large part of the student population that feels isolated from Piper events.
“We want to bridge that gap and get those students involved … we want to still give them the opportunity to feel like a Piper, and to feel like this place is a second home, even if they don’t live here,” De Los Santos said.
To combat this, HUPB is currently looking to hire a commuter representative for the programming board. Interested students should reach out to sald@hamline.edu.
