Unwind with lemonade: Students enjoy LeMonet held by Student Activities

Student Activities washed the Montview Student Union with color Feb. 3 on Saturday evening with this year’s newest event: LeMonet. The event combined music, painting and lemonade to offer the student body the opportunity to fellowship by creating art.

A large crowd of students flooded the hallway, forming a long line more than 15 minutes before the event was scheduled to begin to claim their spot in line for paint supplies and lemonade. The Student Activities’ student workers kept the crowd anticipating the start of the event by announcing each passing minute right until the last few seconds, which the students excitedly counted down to kick everything off.

Several large speakers played calm jazz songs to set a relaxing tone for the event, like ‘Le Festin’ by Michael Giacchino and Camille, a popular French jazz song from the movie ‘Ratatouille’.’

Tables were arranged in a long row to help guide attendees through the busy line to get the supplies they needed to enjoy the event before finding a seat. in the seating area to begin painting.

Gabby Trotte, a Student Activities supervisor for the LeMonet event, spoke about the different items that the event will offer for students who attended.   

“We have little mini canvases, and watercolor paints for students to hang out at the Montview Starbucks, and we also have lemonade with frozen fruit inside,” Trotte said. “It’s a brand-new event this year, and it’s one of my favorites. It gives them the opportunity to unwind and be creative during the busy homework season to get away from things for a little bit, and they get to spend some time with their friends and just hang out.”

Students were encouraged to grab a palette of paint, a small canvas, a paintbrush and an easel before leaving to find a table to begin creating their artwork. At the end of the line, students could indulge in a cold, refreshing cup of lemonade, and could even choose to infuse their drink with frozen mixed tropical fruit, strawberries or pineapple for a little extra flavor.

“My favorite part of the event is definitely the lemonade, since it’s one of my favorite drinks, but I’ve also loved painting my whole life, so having this event for students to come and paint has been awesome,” Trotte said.

Students spread out throughout the entire Montview Student Union, settling down in sofas, spare chairs and empty tables. The room was loud with students laughing and talking about what they wanted to paint on their canvases. Landscape paintings seemed to be the top choice of the night, competing closely with pastel-colored flowers and plants.

Corinna Lawson, a sophomore attending LeMonet, spoke about why she loves attending Student Activities events.

“I like how they change things every time, and it’s always the most fun events. For instance, with this event, combining Monet and lemonade is the best idea ever,” Lawson said.

LeMonet is not the only event that Student Activities has planned for this semester. Other upcoming events can be found on the Student Activities Instagram page @libertysa or on their website.

Jarnigan is the asst. news editor for the Liberty Champion