On Jan. 27 and 28, students socially distanced in the Cave in the D.P. Culp Student Center as they took to their seats at evenly spaced tables lined with purple paper, ready to paint mugs for a do-it-yourself mug decorating event hosted by Buctainment and ETSU Student Life and Enrollment.

The gathering was one of the first events offered back on campus this semester. Each student was given a mug, paint and markers to decorate their mug in any way they wished. To enforce safe COVID-19 protocols, there were only 25 spots available for each session, which quickly filled up.

The event was hosted at the Cave inside D.P. Culp Student Center. (Photograph by Nyah Bass/East Tennessean)

“That was really exciting to know that people are receptive and excited for things like this,” said Olivia Bowles, a student life and enrollment graduate assistant helping lead the event. “It kind of gives us feedback knowing how to plan things moving forward. It made me feel really good about it.”

Bowles said that the inspiration for this particular event came from wanting to give students something to look forward to, something to keep with them and use during the semester. It was also a way to get students to promote more student activities in the Culp Center as well.

“It is a way for people to come out with friends or with people you do not know too well and decorate a coffee mug or a mug of your choosing to bring with you and have in your dorm and inspire you throughout the rest of this cold season,” said Bowles. “We wanted to get something started that was simple but can bring the community together.”

  • (Photograph by Allison Winters/East Tennessean)
  • (Photograph by Allison Winters/East Tennessean)
  • (Photograph by Allison Winters/East Tennessean)
Participants painted designs on their mugs from socially-distanced tables.

Participants flowed in and out of the Cave as they finished working on their mugs, taking their finished work with them as they left. Some chose to paint depictions of “Baby Yoda”, others chose sports teams or video game logos.

“I thought [this event] was something fun to do in the middle of the week,” said ETSU junior Rebecca Eubanks, after she finished painting her mug. “I know there are a lot of COVID regulations and planning that had to be involved in that, so I am extremely grateful. I hope that more student groups get involved and on campus because there is definitely a turnout.”

The next on-campus event is Card and Board Game Night in the Cave on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. The free event is open to all ETSU students, but they must present an ETSU ID and are required to wear a face covering throughout. Attendance is limited to 40 participants on a first come first serve basis. For more information, email Buctainment at etsufun@etsu.edu.