On April 5, 2026, resident assistants (RAs) Kacy and Abby held a tote bag painting event from 1 to 2 p.m. at Forest Lodge at Indiana University Southeast. The event aimed to foster unity among students and provide a fun social activity. Non-academic social events like this one offer students a creative outlet and encourage community-building, including for those living on campus. Organized through both Forest and Meadow Lodge, the event was also intended to support struggling students, according to RA Kacy. “We wanted to give people a chance to unwind.” The hour-long event was an unguided painting session where students could decorate their own tote bags to take home. Paint, brushes, and tote bags were provided by the RAs to ensure everyone could participate.
The environment was designed to be relaxing and creative, allowing students to focus on their artwork. Students from other residential halls and even off- campus students attended, some hoping to create a personalized bag for carrying books. One student, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared, “I really needed a new bag for my books. My old one had holes in it, and the straps were starting to tear. I thought that the tote bag painting night would be a good opportunity to get a new bag and make it my own”. Before the event, there was concern about attendance. RA Abby noted, “We had only 12 people RSVP to attend, and we had about 100 bags. We were a little bit concerned that no one would show up at all and we would be left with 100 bags. We were really happy with how things turned out, though”.
IUS junior, Taylor Arnold, said, “campus events make me nervous sometimes, but everyone here was really nice and helpful. I enjoyed making my tote bag, too”.
IU Southeast housing residence halls often hold events like this one to help students make friends, provide social breaks for busy students, and boost morale. RAs in each residence hall oversee event planning. Most events are free and open to all students. Upcoming events can be found at https://grenadiercentral.ius.edu/. You can RSVP for the events right on the website.
