By Mallory Harris | Staff Writer

The Student Dietetic and Nutrition Association (SDNA) held a “paint-a-pot” event on Friday, April 16 at Burleson Quadrangle. With a wide range of plants and paints to choose from, students were able to come by, paint a pot and take home a new plant for $8.

This was the first time this event was held and Happy Valley, Ore. freshman Kailey Lewis said it was successful, anticipating a repeat event next year.

“I think the whole idea came from celebrating Earth Day a little early, you know everyone loves plants, cute little succulents, it was a great way for all of us to get together and be in person,” Lewis said.

San Antonio senior Shaye Barry said SDNA usually holds an event around Valentine’s Day with chocolate covered strawberries for students. However, with COVID-19 restrictions and lack of events by Student Activities at the time, Barry had to brainstorm a new event idea that brought awareness to nutrition without food. Talking with fellow officers, Barry shared how she tried to come up with an event that not only appealed to nutrition students but to any Baylor student.

“We came up with having a garden–something with a fruits and vegetables–type of event, but it’s just open to any succulents or flowers. Just any sort of plant so that everyone who’s a Baylor student could come,” Barry said. “We thought that that idea would help, an idea that’s outdoors but still kind of relates back to nutrition.”

Barry said her goal for this event was to have 30 people registered and 50 pots to paint and was excited to see that goal fulfilled. Even with the threat of rain, Lewis explained how the beginning of the event was a little hectic as they weren’t expecting everyone to show up early. While following all University guidelines, students were able to paint their pots and enjoy the campus scenery with the anticipation of growing a new plant.

“As they take it home for the summer or the rest of the semester, [students] can watch it grow. If they got a vegetable or fruit, hopefully in mid-summer [they] can have it produce some fruit or vegetable,” Barry said.

Barry said all the profits from the event went to benefit The Store, an on-campus food pantry. Lewis said she was also excited at how much profit and success this event brought for both organizations, especially for its first run.

“It does relate back to nutrition because that’s a really important aspect is that to have good nutrition you need to have to have the food to consume. That’s why we really like The Store,” Barry said.

When deciding on the new event, Barry said the timing of Earth Day in April was really helpful in choosing plants. Supporting good nutrition and healthy plants, or vegetables, was a key theme for the event, and the timing only added to that idea.

Lewis said she was glad to celebrate Earth Day with a variety of students at “paint-a-pot” and liked that students were able to take home a new plant themselves.

“My favorite part was seeing everyone in person, because I’m a freshman and so all these people that I’ve been working with I’d only seen them on Zoom, and so getting to see everyone in person really felt like a real community,” Lewis said.