By Michaella Lesieur, Staff Writer
A friend for you or a friend for your sweetheart, the UMass Dartmouth campus center was spreading the love on Valentine’s Day with a take home furreal friends of your own courtesy of the SAIL office for $5 dollars an animal.
Whether it was a puppy, elephant, tiger, or teddy bear each one came unstuffed and ready for you to love and adore or send to that special someone.
This was primarily a new event as it was started some time back. “This was its first time back in a while and we are probably going to start it annually,” said Sean Tocci sophomore data science major.
Students were not only able to pick their favorite stuffy but one of three hearts with words such as love, wishes and dreams and etc., a mini UMass Dartmouth shirt with Arnie in the center to dress them up and a birth certificate of when you adopted your new little friend.
The lines were big and students were buying the animals not only for themselves but for those that matter most. “I made a tiger because my mom loves tigers and I made it for her!” said Brianna Krappe senior crime and justice major.
The SAIL’s office members thought the event was very successful. “I thought it went very well, people seemed to enjoy it. That’s what they want so that is what we will give them,” said Tocci.
Being able to stuff and make the bears themselves is what attracted students the most.
“I like the idea that you could stuff them yourself instead of just buying the bear, it made it far more special,” said Krappe.
Tocci agreed that this was by far a better alternative for students. “This is better because it is a cheaper option to Build-A-Bear, it comes with all the materials and the stuffing,” said Tocci.
The success of the event was far exceeded when the group sold out of all the bears early in the afternoon, when the event was supposed to go till 3 to 3:30 p.m. “It went really good, we sold out of all the bears by 2:30 p.m. and the elephants sold out at 1:30 p.m.,” said Tocci.
Between the fluttery eyelashes and the big floppy ears the elephant was the heart stealer. However, there are always personal favorites. “To me the tiger was the best,” said Tocci. “The most popular one was the elephant. Most guys bought the elephant for their girlfriends as they waited in line and asked the people behind them what they thought.”
Everyone and anyone could buy the animals and stuff them or bring them home to have someone else do the creating. Between, couples, boyfriends, girlfriends, mothers and other family and friends the line was filled with love. “A lot of sororities and fraternities came up as a group and stuffed them when they found out what was going on,” said Tocci.
Although, some working the event did not make the animals they enjoyed sitting back and watching. “I didn’t make one,” said Tocci. “I had a good time just helping out.”
Many students hope that the SAIL office does more events in the like. “I do, yes, yes, yes! So, cute and fun!” said Krappe.
Students feel that having unique events such as this one is important for the college experience. “Because it distracts students from school work,” said Tocci. “If you are always focusing on the next thing, such as a test or project, you are not going to enjoy college.”
Stay tuned for more upcoming SAIL’s events which can be found on their Facebook page and under student activities at umassd.edu.