The University of Connecticut’s Picnic Club had its first ever meeting open to the public on Feb. 20. The theme of the meeting was writing love letters.
Upon entering the room, one would see dried rose petals scattered on the table with tea sets, stationery (including printer paper and ripped pages from an old-fashioned leather-bound journal), assorted stickers and writing utensils. Music by bossa nova artist Laufey was playing in the background as part of the playlist made specifically for Picnic Club. There was also a copy of the book “How to Write Love Letters” by Michelle Lovric available for attendees to read and get inspiration from, as well as a sign-up sheet to get added to the club’s mailing list.
Alexa Pappas, a sixth-semester fine arts major with a concentration in illustration and design serves as president of Picnic Club. She joyfully greeted those who attended the meeting.
Ah Reum Kindness, a sixth-semester fine arts major with a concentration in illustration and animation serves as vice president of Picnic Club. Pappas and Kindness were also in attendance with Amber Gulyban, a sixth-semester fine arts major with a concentration in graphic design. She is the secretary and treasurer of Picnic Club.
Gulyban and Pappas had conversations where they elaborated on what Picnic Club is all about. “We’re a club dedicated to the art of picnicking. A big part of Picnic Club is being surrounded by nature,” Pappas said. “Our vision for it is to have a good little activity and surrounding it with the arts and nature. We all love going on picnics, so wouldn’t it be nice to have it for the bigger community?” she added.
The other goal of Picnic Club is to “take a break from academic stress,” according to Kindness. “It’s been good to set up this community,” she said.
The idea for Picnic Club came the summer before the e-board’s fifth semester and is finally being realized. The e-board would have had the meeting outside, but due to the low temperatures and snow, they opted to have an indoor meeting instead.
The picnics are intended to occur monthly between the days of Thursday to Sunday, according to Pappas. Gulyban revealed that all of the supplies were things they all previously obtained, except for the Hallmark envelopes, which were bought from CVS.
As people continued to trickle in, the e-board nurtured a welcoming environment for all. The attendees were mostly art students, as word of the club spread by word of mouth and all three e-board members were also art students themselves.
Pappas introduced the e-board and then spoke for a bit about the topic of the first meeting with the help of a slideshow presentation. The club’s mission as stated in the slideshow is “to foster a community you feel safe, comfortable and loved in.”
Pappas continued, “To celebrate the month of love, we are indulging in the art of letter writing!” She noted that the letters could be addressed to anyone, including yourself, and that the letters don’t have to be sent anywhere. “Writing can be very healing and a way to express love in a new way,” Pappas added.
The e-board listed several prompt ideas in a list: “A letter to your past self or future self, a favorite memory of you and your best friends, something you want to remember, where do you want to be, who do you want to be, things you’ve left unsaid, someone you forgive/want to forgive, a future soulmate, thank yourself for something you did or are proud of or [a letter] to someone you miss.”
The last slide was a vision board with ideas to inspire the attendees. However, the possibilities of what people can write about are endless. Gulyban acknowledged the power of journaling and how essential it is for processing emotions.
Picnic Club is a super welcoming community of open-minded individuals who just want to spread positivity and their love for picnicking, art and the outdoors. Seeing the flyer for this event in the Art Building was the perfect way to unwind after a stressful exam. I look forward to seeing how this club grows.