On April 3, Student Event and Activities and the Commuter Life team presented Bring Spring, an event made to celebrate the new season through potting plants. Starting at 11:30 a.m., students were invited to the Walker Student Center’s balcony where they could take home a seedling of their choice.
Packets of seeds were each labeled by name, demonstrating the potential product. There were many types of plants to choose from, including succulents and flowers. Some examples include Cosmos flowers, Bachelor’s Buttons and Mystery Plants, the latter of which offered a fun challenge for anyone interested. The seedlings were grown by Commuter Life’s own coordinator Rob Rostoni.
“He bought seeds online and cultivated 500 plants for the giveaway,” Aidan Stinson, student director of SEA, said.
Once a student had chosen their seedling, they would move to a separate table where bags of soil were provided. Once the plant was potted, students were invited to decorate their pot with little stickers including dinosaurs, coffee cups and even a custom “Bring Spring 2025” option.
While the event succeeded in promoting planting, it also promoted community with other John Brown University students.
“Aside from getting a free plant, it was super fun to pick out stickers to decorate the pot. I’m not usually one for social events, but the small talk with everyone else while we were planting and picking out plants was actually really nice,” JBU Senior student Colette Campbell said.
The Bring Spring event was also important regarding the collaboration between the clubs at JBU.
“I had a goal at the beginning of the year for SEA. I wanted to encourage my team to partner with more organizations on campus with their events so that we could support their endeavors and reach a wider audience,” Stinson said.
For some students, the Bring Spring event presented the opportunity to easily obtain a plant to add or even start their collection.
“I saw the posters and wanted to go because I really like plants and wanted to get myself one,” junior Maggie Koslowsky said.
Refreshments such as water, lemonade and iced tea were offered to attendees. Pop songs accompanied the atmosphere. Students were invited to pick a drink and chat with fellow attendees, inspiring conversation among fellow plant lovers.
Photo courtesy of Rob Rostoni
