Ashley Thompson | Features Writer

On Valentine’s Day making treats and cards is a well-known piece of the celebration. The Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center held an all-day event with these kinds of activities on Feb. 14, making many students feel involved in the holiday festivities.

The WNDAAC hosted an event open to all students on campus to come in and craft Valentine’s cards, punch heart-shaped cups and maybe decorate a cookie or two.

“I think for our center, celebrating the holidays is very important. It is a good time for us to share all that we offer with this community,” administrative assistant Angie Leonard said. “It’s exciting because my son was talking about his plans for a Valentine’s party, and I was planning at the same time with him and it’s funny to me that we were both working on a celebration.”

According to the WNDAAC’s activities page, the center hosts a variety of curricular and holiday events that connect with the university and the center’s goals.

“This center offers me somewhere where I feel I can come in and just hang out. I feel welcome here. It’s like a safe place,” sophomore marketing major Barrion Wiley Hunt said.

The center’s event continued all day, with some members attending and other students coming in to hang out.

“It’s nice to have somewhere to come and be on Valentine’s Day and hang out with friends,” sophomore education K-5 major Shay McKinney said. “Although I’m not very creative so I won’t make any arts and crafts, I’m enjoying just having that place to be on Valentine’s Day and seeing that there is a community here for students to come to.”

The Valentine’s Day event held prize contests for chocolate, as well as arts and crafts.

“I came to this event because it seemed like a good way to get in touch with the community and do some fun crafting,” freshman communications major Ashley Mullins said. “This is also my usual hang out space for my friends and I, so we would have ended up here anyways.”

The WNDAACC hosts many events to build its community and spread the center’s goals. This Valentine’s Day event was an example and lasted through the day so students were welcome at any time. With treats, photograph, and arts and crafts the community celebrated the holiday together.

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