Semester 3

Arts TRYathlon #1: Welcome Event

Sweet stART Welcome Event (09/05/25, Bel Air Lounge)

#artscholars, #incomingfreshmen, #mentors

For our first event as Arts Scholars, I, as a peer mentor, and other mentors volunteered to help set up a welcome event at the end of the first week to give our mentees and the new Arts Scholar freshmen a chance to relax and hang out, almost a celebration of their first week. It took place in the Bel Air building on September 5th and had many different types of fun activities like canvas painting, bead bracelet making, a dance workshop, live music, and an ice cream station. Each mentor was in charge of a different station, and I was responsible for handing out ice cream to everyone. It turned out to be a great way to connect with the mentees and help create a fun, welcoming place for them. It was really nice to see everyone getting comfortable, making friends, and enjoying themselves. This applies to the concepts of the Arts Scholars colloquium because we, as Arts Scholars, are a community, and we welcome everyone. The event helped the mentees become more sociable and build new friendships, and even the mentors to build new connections with the mentees, and also to reunite with our friends from last year. I'm glad I got to be part of it.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Maker Mixer

Prisms & Pals: DIY Sun-Catchers - TA Vanessa Senk (10/03/25, Bel Air Lounge)

#MakerMixer, #friends, #suncatchers, #beads, #crystals

On October 3rd, my friend Daisy and I planned to go to a Maker Mixer event to make DIY sun-catchers using beads and crystals. It was a Friday, and we had just finished our Biology lecture for the day, so it was a fun and relaxing way to end the week. When we got there, I was surprised by how many people showed up. TA Vanessa had to bring out 4 large tables to fit everyone, but even then, there weren't enough materials or chairs, so Daisy and I ended up sharing one chair and using leftover beads and wire from our table. Even though we didn't have a lot to work with, we made it work by thinking creatively about how to combine the beaded colors and crystal shapes. Daisy helped me coil the wire around the crystal so it would hang evenly, and the final product actually came out really nice (it's still hanging in my room). This experience made me realize the concepts of Arts Scholars, such as how problem-solving, adapting, and using our creativity when things don't go as planned. And for this event, I had to use critical thinking to figure out how to make the sun catchers work with limited supplies.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Peer Mentor Event

Movie/Game Night Event (10/16/25, Cambridge Community Center)

#mentor, #mentees, #movie, #snacks, #games

For one of my events as an Arts Scholars peer mentor, I, along with Colin, Daisy, and Damaya, hosted a movie and game night to give our mentees a chance to relax and hang out while celebrating finishing midterm exams, the fall season, and fall break that recently happened. It took place in the Cambridge Community Center (CCC) and had all different kinds of fun activities like card games, board games, Switch games, and a movie. We played Corpse Bride. It was really nice to see everyone again and just hang out. I bought snacks, such as cookies, Oreos, and chips. While Daisy set up the movie, and Colin set up the room, he brought candy, and even brought his Switch for the mentees who wanted to play. We ended the event around 8 p.m. This connects to the concepts of the Arts Scholars colloquium because it was one of the smaller events I really appreciated. Having my mentees come made it more meaningful, and we got a better chance to bond. It was a special event that taught me a lot about building relationships and connections between mentors and mentees. I'm even more grateful that I got to do it with my friends.

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