In the heart of UNK’s campus, the Loper Programming and Activities Council held its Stuff-A-Plush event in the Nebraskan Student Union for UNK students.
This event has been put on for several years, and organizers said it will be a tradition for years to come. Stuff-A-Plush has a similar concept to Build-A-Bear, which may provide UNK students with a nostalgic feeling of reminiscing about their childhood.
Adianis Pérez, a senior majoring in communication disorders, said the event brought back memories and is something she will cherish forever.
“The first time I had heard of this event was during my freshman year,” Pérez said. “It instantly reminded me a lot of my childhood and making my own stuffed animals in the Build-A-Bear shop. A couple of my friends and I walked into the union and started making our own. I still have my first plush from freshman year to this day. They each hold a special memory from all of my years at UNK. I will definitely keep all of them forever.”
Danielle Fortik, LPAC’s Loper events chair, said the event is so popular that they always run out of animals.
“Last year, we had 800 plush animals and ran out in about one hour,” Fortik said. “We absolutely plan to bring this event back to campus in the years to come. Stuff-A-Plush is one of LPAC’s most popular events of the year. People really look forward to getting their plush animal and always leave with a smile.”
Students like Madison Trindle, a senior majoring in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, use events like these to set aside homework and enjoy some campus events.
“As someone who spends a lot of time studying and working on class assignments, I enjoy that this is something on campus that I can participate in and it doesn’t take a lot of time away from my day,” Trindle said. “It feels very refreshing to take a break from all of the homework to do something so nostalgic and lighthearted.”
