Love is in the air at Aquinas College

By Abby Kozal, Culture Editor and Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor

The Aquinas College campus celebrated Valentine’s Day this year with an abundance of campus events and activities. Multiple RSOs held themed events to commemorate the holiday.

While Aquinas hosts numerous Valentine’s themed events, Stuff-a-Plush is one of the most well-attended. Stuff-a-Plush has been a well-established tradition at Aquinas for many years. Hosted in the Wege Ballroom, students come to stuff their own stuffed animal as well as indulge in a variety of sweet treats provided by Campus Dining.

The Student Activities and Orientation office often collaborates with other RSOs in order to host this event. This year, the Wege Ballroom was packed with students eager to take home their own stuffed animal. There was a wide selection of toys to choose from, such as dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and other furry creatures.

Students gather in the Wege Ballroom to celebrate Stuff-a-Plush – Photo by Joel Grimsley

“We had a lot of collaborators compared to last year,” SAO Student Worker Olivia White said. “A lot of people wanted to help and participate, raising funds for the Treetops Collective and Love is Love.”

The Love is Love Button Sale was hosted by the Jane Hibbard Idema Women and Genders Studies Center in collaboration with AQ Pride. This was their sixth year of running the event. The sale was held in the Wege Ballroom during Stuff-a-Plush. An assortment of buttons and stickers were sold with all donations going towards the Grand Rapids Pride Center and the YWCA of West Michigan.

Other RSOs collaborated with SAO as well to bring this event to life. The Office of International Programs offered study abroad-themed Valentine’s Day cards. The Advantage Center had a friendship bracelet station, and Student Senate had a toy drive for RePlay Toys.

Campus Dining provided catering for the event. There was a wide variety of Valentine’s day chocolate, cupcakes, and pink lemonade.

“Aquinas Dining does a really good job with catering every year,” Student Engagement Coordinator Esmeralda Ruiz said. “Charlie (Catering Manager Charlie Hoven) especially really likes to make sure that what you’re eating is an experience in itself.”

Nelson’s Bowtie appears at Stuff-a-Plush along with treats from Campus Dining – Photo by @aquinascollegegr on Instagram

Besides the main event, a few other Valentine’s-themed activities were held throughout the day.

AQ Pride also hosted a Valentine’s-themed bingo night at the Moose. Despite hosting the event while the Moose was closed for sales, multiple students came out to enjoy a game of bingo. Among the prizes included were stuffed animals and candy. The club also gave out free desserts to attendees prepared by the Catering Department.

Assorted desserts from AQ Pride’s Bingo Night – Photo by Abby Kozal

“Love is in the Air,” a winter concert performed by the music department, also took place later in the evening. It was hosted in the Kretschmer Recital Hall in the Art & Music Center. The concert itself was organized by Dr. Tom Polett, Professor of Music and Department Chair.

The concert followed a theme of love with performances by the jazz band, college band, and choir groups. Many love songs were performed, such as “Dance of the Knights” from the ballet version of Romeo and Juliet.

CJ Guillermo, a freshman at Aquinas, told The Saint about how much fun he had during these events. “I don’t want this to sound corny, but it’s events like this that fill me with AQ pride,” said Guillermo. “You know, being able to hang out with my friends and stuffed animals, it’s pretty fun…and it definitely adds to my experience here at AQ.”