The Hispanic Student Association (HSA) hosted Sip & Paint on Wednesday, Oct. 9, as part of their Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, which spanned from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Music in Spanish, laughter, and chatting filled the air. Friends sat by each other as they painted and snacked. Two plastic barrels of drinks, single-serving bags of chips, and bottles of craft paint sat atop a table at the front of the room.
Students were there to decorate cantaritos, a type of decorative cup.
“In Mexico, cantaritos are made out of clay and water,” said Viridiana Sanchez Angel, the president of the Hispanic Student Association. “They form these jugs and then they put a glaze on it, they’ll decorate it with paint like we’re doing now.”
Cantaritos are typically fired in a kiln after painting.
Canvases were provided for nonmembers of the HSA to paint.
One of the drink barrels contained horchata and the other had strawberry agua fresca, both supplied by La Michoacana on Summer Avenue. Cans of Jumex juice sat between them.
“I thought it was very fun. I love to paint, and I love what they [have] going on here,” said Javien Culclager, a student who joined his friends at the event.
Towards the end of the event, the barrels of drinks were almost empty, but high spirits remained as people enjoyed the music and people’s company.
“My heritage, it defines me in a way,” said Sanchez Angel. “Everything I do is based off my heritage and being able to show that to everyone here, it brings me pride because I like showing people about my family, my culture.”