A night stuffed full of fun
The Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB) hosted a 2000’s night full of nostalgia, build-a-bears and friendship bracelets.
November 17, 2021
First years Mia Chiang (left) and Ari Newfield (right) with Percy the polar bear and Pengu the penguin.
The 2000s bring back many memories of our childhood; sleepovers filled with bracelet making, teddy bears and Capri Suns. The Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB) sought out to capture these memories in their 2000s Night event. Each attendee was able to select one Build A Bear to stuff and keep, and each table had string and a selection of beads allowed people to make friendship bracelets or necklaces for their stuffed animals.
This highly anticipated event took over a month to plan, due to the large number of Build-a-Bears that needed to arrive for this to take place. With a Google form to narrow down what animals people would want to have at this event and cute posters across campus, the night caught the attention of many students.
Anderson 112 was full of stuffed animals, stuffing, beads and string and was paired with a playlist of “throwbacks”, songs that were popular in that time period, to create the perfect atmosphere for nostalgia. Childhood snacks and drinks added to the atmosphere as well.
Junior Cati Varichak with her racoon Build-A-Bear that she named Steal.
Junior Hannah Notebaart is the Homegrown Programmer for HUPB, meaning that she plans events where the attendants can take home something they created. Crafts and Do-It-Yourself events are the primary themes for what Notebaart plans. Notebaart is responsible for events such as Adopt a Plant for new students and the DIY Foam Pumpkins program in October.
“[The turnout] was more than we expected so we ran out, but [I am] glad that people enjoyed it,” Notebaart said.
The selection of animals that students could stuff included a penguin, teddy bear, raccoon, cow, giraffe, polar bear, brown bear and a rabbit. They also had Hamline Piper shirts that the stuffed animals could wear.
The provided string and beads allowed many students to make necklaces for their stuffed animals. The small number of lettered beads at each table led to a search for certain letters, specifically, the letter ‘E’ was hard to find.
The night was an overall success, with many attendees leaving happy with their new stuffed friends.
To keep up to date with events like this on campus, follow @hupb on Instagram.