bruning@lopers.unk.edu

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Loper Programming and Activities Council members held the Build-A-Bear and Random Acts of Kindness event on Feb. 11 and 15 in the Nebraskan Student Union.

Renae Zimmer, LPAC adviser, gave insight on how the activity helps the UNK community.

“Some people may think, ‘Well, what does Build-A-Bear have to do with education?,’” Zimmer said. “But I think it goes back to mental health and self-care, kind of like a security blanket.”

The first Build-A-Bear event happened in October 2020. The same event was held the following February. The event has grown in popularity so much that supplies are completely gone by the end.

This year students had 15 animals to choose from.

Five of the animals were offered in last year’s selection. Some of the choices included giraffes, sloths and elephants. There were 910 animals to give out to students, and all of them ran out.

Many students find comfort in the event.

“This definitely makes me feel more relaxed, and it will make me happier because I will always have a little friend,” said Bailee Sterling, a business administration student. 

The organization has more fun plans for the future.

“We are already having very preliminary conversations about a big spring concert for 2023,” said Zimmer. “We are also thinking about a spring festival that will happen on campus, but it’s not to replace the spring concert.” 

LPAC members appreciate the great turnout for the event.

“This is always a very popular event and [students] do make it really easy to host stuff like this because we do it for them,” said Caroline Stanley, the Loper event chair of LPAC. “We’re glad that students are interested.” 

LPAC is always open for UNK students looking to join. Meetings take place at 5 p.m. on Thursdays located in the Antelope Room at the Nebraska Student Union.