On the night of Jan. 25, Campus Recreation held a Pottery Painting event as a part of their weekly Rec Nights program.
The Pottery Painting event took place in the Recreation Center Lounge.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
The first level of Montclair State University Recreation Center was filled with something more than the normal fitness and gym-goers. Instead, it was filled with the sounds of laughter, chatter and the smell of paint fumes.
Participants were provided with pre-made ceramics, paint brushes, paint and paper plates to act as palettes. The ceramics included some adorable cows, sunflowers and gnomes as well as some simpler options like change holders and plates. But these predetermined shapes didn’t get in the way of students’ creativity.
Jacob Corter’s “Ghostface” gnome.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Jacob Corter, a junior film and television major, decided to give his cute little ceramic gnome a sinister twist.
“I took a little gnome and I made him into Ghostface from the ‘Scream’ movies,” Corter said.
Others took inspiration from more recent pop culture icons. Kasey Coury, a senior communication and media arts major, worked on a creation she named “Doja Cow.”
Senior communication and media arts major Kasey Coury paints fishnet stockings on her “Doja Cow.”
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Rec Nights are meant to give students a break during the week to do something relaxing and crafty while giving them a chance to socialize with their peers.
For transfer students like Corter, events like this allow him to branch out and meet new people.
“I just transferred here from [a community college] and I don’t have any friends, I know nobody on campus,” Corter said. “Events are a good [place to meet new people].”
Teni Bello, a junior sports communication major and director of special events and Rec Nights at the Rec Center, is always pleasantly surprised at the turnout for the Pottery Painting event.
Director of Special Events and Rec Nights Teni Bello turns students away after the event reached capacity based on COVID-19 restrictions.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
“It’s a huge turnout, there’s [around 80] of us here and we actually had to start turning people away because of [coronavirus (COVID-19)] restrictions,” Bello said.
Students like Grace Delia, a junior English and communication and media studies major, came to Pottery Painting to take a break as classes begin to ramp up this semester.
“I saw the event on Engage and I was really excited about it because I feel like painting is a really great way to destress and with the start of the semester and everything going on right now,” Delia said. “What’s a better way to destress than painting some pottery?”
Freshman chemistry major Lyla Salyani’s Cow creation stands alongside Jacob Corter’s “Ghostface” gnome.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Rec Nights are held every Tuesday night from 7-9 p.m. in the Rec Center lounge. Some upcoming events include Mosaic Making and DIY Hand Sanitizer.
