USU clubs paint the streets
Music blasts from speakers surrounding the Taggart Student Center bus loop, students huddle in clusters, paintbrushes in hand. The air pulses with energy as students laugh and sing along, hunched over freshly dried paint.
“It’s great,” said Sophie Hinton, a student at Utah State University. “All the good tunes are going and then there’s just the smell of paint everywhere and everyone’s just partying. I love it.”
Every year Aggies paint the TSC loop blue and white to kick off Homecoming Week. One of the oldest Utah State University traditions, street painting illuminates the diversity of USU clubs and involvement.
Jared Craig Kaitlyn Adcox, a freshman studying elementary education, paints the TSC loop.
During street painting, representatives from USU clubs come together to paint a mural symbolizing each of their organizations. Each club paints a square, usually denoting their club name or logo.
“It’s just a great way to spend the last couple weeks of fall before winter hits,” said Bailey Werling, a member of the Utah State University Student Association Traditions Committee.
Street painting provides an opportunity for students to explore the diversity of USU’s student organizations. Students can stroll along the TSC loop to admire the artwork and ask club representatives questions.
“It lets the students who aren’t involved with anything kind of know about these clubs and entities around campus,” said Nathan Peel, the founder of USU’s Scandinavian Culture Club.
Peel painted the club’s logo — a Viking headset — to represent the organization. Peel started the club to celebrate Scandinavian culture in tribute to his ancestors who were from the area.
“We just look at stuff within the Scandinavian culture, celebrate holidays, celebrations, eat food,” he said.
The American Society of Civil Engineers took up a square this year as well. For their mural, they painted a steel bridge and concrete canoe logo to illustrate one of their annual engineering competitions.
“And so our tile is the three main motor so it’s the steel bridge logo, the concrete canoe logo and then the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASC,” said Jeff Huffman, a member of the club.
Latinos in Action painted a square in honor of Dia De Los Muertos, which starts on Nov. 1. Latinos in action, carefully painted in cursive letters, stretched across the bottom of the square. Above the letters, students worked on a giant skull.
“We’re doing a skull because it’s very close to Dia De Los Muertos,” said Clarissa Hernandez, a USU freshman.
Some students switched between murals. Sophie Hinton took turns painting at four different squares.
“It’s a party. It’s so great. I love it,” she said.
“It’s a great way to show Aggie pride,” said Bailey Werling, a member of the USUSA Traditions Committee. “It’s just a really fun time for all the organizations to come together and hang out for a couple hours.”