All of us consume art during our free time in some way — music and television are basically omnipresent — but making art can be just as delightful. That’s how dozens of students spent their lunch Tuesday — laughing and meeting new friends while hunched over ceramic tiles with paintbrushes in hand. From the good vibes in the room, it was clear that “Style Your Tile” was a success.

Shayla Ingalls, a graduate of WSU and former Student Involvement ambassador, said an event that gets her back in touch with Student Involvement and provides free art materials was a perfect opportunity.

“I helped plan some of these kind of events, so I wanted to come out and support,” Ingalls said. “It’s just a good stress reliever.”

Wichita State’s Division of Student Affairs, which threw the event in the RSC, set up the painting session with many goals in mind. Along with offering students a way to decompress during a busy week, “Style Your Tile” was designed to distribute study help tools such as planners and tip handouts. The goal was to make the positive impact stretch beyond the half hour or so that students came to paint — even though the tiles that students take home, painted in WSU’s signature black and yellow, will make for a lovely keepsake in the years to come.

The event’s fusion of stress relief, study skills, and school spirit, was no mistake. Joshua Villa, a graduate assistant for Student Affairs who was overseeing the event, said all the elements reinforce each other.

“I think they go hand-in-hand,” Villa said. “Being prideful of your school will help you perform better at the university.”