By Melissa Spady (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: July 17, 2013
This fall, students will see some changes to their student lounge.
A mural has been commissioned by SUS to brighten up the dark and underused back corner of Aftermath. Last April, the campus hangout got a “thorough clean-up,” says SUS general manager Meghan McDonald, and although the space is now tidied, “several students commented that the back area was dark, uninviting and underutilized.”
Instead of simply painting a bright colour over the deep red, it was proposed that the space be used as an opportunity to showcase the talent of UFV students, particularly those from the Visual Arts Student Association (VASA).
VASA accepted the proposal and has since been working on the mural.
The mural will feature Mt. Baker and Mt. Cheam with trees and blue sky, but there’s a twist to keep the piece unique.
Scattered throughout the mural are empty bubbles, and students will be able to shape what goes into them.
“We’re asking students to come in and tell us ‘what is UFV,’” VASA member Julie Epp says. “Then we’ll paint it in the picture.”
The mural is being worked on actively by four members of VASA and is is set to be completed in late August. Although it’s not a secret that the mural is being painted, Epp says they’re trying to keep the specific details under wraps until the unveiling in Fall.
“VASA hasn’t really done anything big. We did a couple of art shows last semester,” she says. “That was our first step in letting people know that VASA is active. It was dead for a while and we revived it in January. We thought this would be a nice opportunity [to let people know].”
While the mural will certainly brighten up the space, the question remains on what will happen to all the hard work Epp and other members of VASA have put in over the summer after the new building is completed and Aftermath moves.
“Unfortunately we won’t be able to take the mural with us, but we will likely take photographs of the piece for posterity,” McDonald says.
The end of August will see the unveiling of the finished piece, as well as a plaque commemorating all the hard work that’s gone into the project since late May.
When Aftermath re-opens in the fall, other changes made during the summer may interest returning students.
“We have added a number of power bars along with a large shelf for laptops and books,” McDonald says. “Students [will be] able to grab a bite to eat while studying and meeting with others.”
The space is undoubtedly revamped for the upcoming semester, but what will become of all the effort put into it once the SUB is finished? Epp hopes it will be used for something else so VASA’s work can continue to be admired.
“It will be interesting to see what happens, maybe we can suggest something to them [UFV] to do with it, like use it for clubs and associations,” she says.
