By Brandon Cortés
Features Editor
As midterms approach, students found a creative way to relax and reflect during a recent event, Dreams in a Jar, hosted by the Programs Council.
Held in Engleman Hall, the event encouraged students to decorate jars with stickers, positive words and affirmations to help them stay focused and motivated through the rest of the semester.
Isaiah Young, a graduate student and ProCon advisor, said the event was meant to bring students together for a moment of calm amid the busy academic season.
“We’re having an affirmation jar pretty much,” Young said.
“They’re putting either stickers or affirmation letters, words of encouragement in the jar. It’s kind of just a big arts and crafts event, but we also have food for them here, too. It’s like a de-stress kind of thing.”
The event also featured rock painting, where students could decorate small stones with positive messages and symbols to accompany their jars.
The goal, organizers said, was to create a physical reminder of encouragement — something students could look at when they needed a motivational boost.
Nursing major Amaya Cox, a sophomore, said the idea behind Dreams in a Jar was to inspire students to finish the semester strong while starting each day with positivity.
“It’s to inspire their goals for the rest of the semester — finish strong, start strong and just motivate them,” Cox said.
The event’s setting matched its message. Around the room, posters and signs carried affirmations like “you can do this” and “keep going,” setting an uplifting tone for participants as they entered Room B127.
Cox said the design was intentional — a way to greet students with positivity before they even sat down to create.
“There’s affirmations on the stickers, and there are signs all over the room,” Cox said. “Once you leave out of here, there are more messages on the walls. It’s just kind of like, you know, we’re close to midterms. This helps keep us feeling good.”
Beyond the decorations, food and crafts, both organizers said the event was about connection.
Sharing snacks, painting and writing notes of encouragement gave students a chance to slow down and talk to one another — something that can be easy to lose during stressful weeks.
“Food brings people together,” Young said. “Painting rocks, putting affirmation letters on them, it’s just a way to create a little community for the day.”
ProCon, which organizes events throughout the semester, holds weekly programs ranging from concerts to creative workshops like Dreams in a Jar. Young said the variety is what keeps students engaged and reminds them that campus life can be both productive and enjoyable.
“These kinds of events help you take a break from everything,” Young said. “You get to sit down, eat, paint, talk with people, and it just makes campus feel more like home.”
