SAB holds afternoon jewelry design event
Tuesday, on the second floor of the Stover Campus Center, a design-your-own-jewelry event called “Bead It” took place. Starting at 11:30 a.m., students popped in and out at their leisure, experimenting with the materials at hand.
Linda Venezie, owner of the independent company for which the event is named, said it was the second “Bead It” event held on campus. The first event ran five years ago.
This year, over 30 students came out and had the opportunity to create their own bracelets, necklaces, key chains and anklets.
”I try to get a good mixture, stuff that’s both masculine and feminine, nicer quality,” said Venezie. “I don’t like the junky stuff.”
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads, Inc. is the jewelry supply company where Venezie purchases the materials used at these events.
Venezie was interested in jewelry from early on in her life.
”My mom had a jewelry place,” said Venezie. “She lived in Ohio and that’s what got me started.”
Venezie also runs events for employees at Sheetz who are celebrating their five, ten or fifteen year anniversaries.
”They take them up to Seven Springs,” said Venezie. “They get to stay overnight and they have all types of entertainment there for them and we get to be part of it.”
Waynesburg University isn’t the only college to experience Venezie’s novelty jewelry. “Bead It” is a popular event at Slippery Rock University, Robert Morris University and the University of Pittsburgh.
Emily Stowell, a sophomore sociology major who serves as the chair of novelty and showtimes for the Student Activities Board, helped pick and plan the activity.
She explained that each individual novelty event offered is put on once per year because they like to offer a wide variety of events.
There is a process in selecting these events.
The idea filters first through the committees and eventually reaches Pat Bristor, the associate dean of students, and other advisors.
Most novelty events held on campus are run by outside companies that the school chooses to pay and support.
”If it’s a good idea and everybody likes it, it usually goes through pretty quickly,” said Stowell.
Making arts and crafts is an enjoyable hobby because it helps relieves stress, explained Kara Hawkins, a freshman nursing major who attended the event..
”I like to do crafty things in general,” said Hawkins. “I wanted to make a bracelet for my mom because her birthday is on Thursday.”