OHIO offices, Athens businesses take top Paint the Town Green honors
Passion Works Studio鈥檚 colorful entry was deemed the 鈥淏est Window Display鈥 in Homecoming 2018鈥檚 Paint the Town Green decorating contest. Photo by Emma Howells
It鈥檚 official! The winners of this year鈥檚 Paint the Town Green contest have been announced, and Bobcat bragging rights go to one office in 91探花鈥檚 Patton College of Education, two offices within the Division of Student Affairs and two uptown Athens businesses.
The winners of Homecoming 2018鈥檚 Paint the Town Green on-campus decorating contest are:
- First place 鈥 The Patton College鈥檚 Department of Human and Consumer Sciences
- Second place 鈥 The Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility
- Third place 鈥 The Office of the Dean of Students
The winners of the Paint the Town Green off-campus decorating contest are:
- Best Representation of the Homecoming Theme 鈥 Mountain Laurel Gifts
- Best Window Display 鈥 Passion Works Studio
The winners were announced at the Oct. 18 Yell Like Hell Pep Rally.
An 91探花 Homecoming tradition for the past 16 years, the Paint the Town Green decorating contest challenges local businesses and organizations as well as OHIO offices to showcase their Bobcat pride. Entries are judged on criteria that includes creativity, presentation of decorations and overall use of this year鈥檚 Homecoming theme, 鈥淎thens State of Mind.鈥
Fourteen entities entered this year鈥檚 contest, which is sponsored by the Campus Involvement Center and the Student Alumni Board.
This year marked the third consecutive win for Mountain Laurel Gifts and the second consecutive win for OHIO鈥檚 Department of Human and Consumer Sciences.
Melanie Quolke, BSS 鈥14, an administrative specialist in the Department of Human and Consumer Sciences, worked with students employed in the office to create both this year鈥檚 and last year鈥檚 award-winning entries.
Quolke said participating in the Paint the Town Green contest allows her and the students with whom she works an opportunity to showcase their Bobcat pride and to tap into their creativity. She uses the experience to show the students that you don鈥檛 have to be a professional artist to create great art, drawing on techniques she learned by participating in the Department of Housing and Residence Life鈥檚 Marti and Stewie Craft Nights as an OHIO undergraduate.
Here鈥檚 a look at this year鈥檚 award-winning Paint the Town Green entries:
Photo by Emma Howells
Visitors to the Department of Human and Consumer Sciences in OHIO鈥檚 McCracken Hall were invited to enter the office through a replica of OHIO鈥檚 iconic Alumni Gateway. The interior of the office suite featured green and white decorative paper chains and pompoms as well as an illustration of two minds 鈥渆xploding鈥 with OHIO Homecoming photos dating back to the 1960s. Taking an interactive approach to their display, the office offered visitors an opportunity to take their pictures using photo frames in the shapes of Ohio and Athens County, inviting visitors to put themselves literally in an 鈥淎thens State of Mind.鈥 To top things off, a bowl of green and white beads was available for visitors to take with them.
The Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility on the third floor of Baker University Center transported visitors to uptown Athens through its Paint the Town Green display. The front window of the office featured this year鈥檚 Homecoming logo and artistic drawings of some Court Street businesses that are part of Bobcats鈥 OHIO experience. The uptown Athens theme continued inside the office with tributes to Passion Works Studio and the Athena Cinema, including a replica of the cinema鈥檚 marquee, proudly displaying the 鈥淎thens State of Mind鈥 Homecoming theme. Each staff member鈥檚 door was dedicated to one of that individual鈥檚 favorite uptown eateries, including Court Street Coffee and O鈥橞etty鈥檚 Red Hot.
Photo by Emma Howells
The Paint the Town Green display at the Office of the Dean of Students on the third floor of Baker University Center was beaming with OHIO and Athens pride, showcasing words, phrases, businesses and locations near and dear to members of the collective community. The office was filled with historic OHIO photos, artwork and memorabilia. Staff within the office proudly displayed their personal OHIO decorations, and each staff member鈥檚 office door was decorated with photos and drawings that conveyed what Athens meant to them. Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones went above and beyond, displaying song lyrics on her office door that proudly boasted, 鈥淚鈥檓 always in an Athens State of Mind.鈥
Photo by Emma Howells
Mountain Laurel Gifts鈥 Paint the Town Green display was designed by one of the shop鈥檚 co-owners, Brian Rollins. The business鈥 window display included a replica of this year鈥檚 Homecoming logo and a 鈥淲elcome Alumni鈥 sign, greeting Bobcats returning to the bricks of Athens and their beloved Court Street.
Photo by Emma Howells
Created by more than 40 artists and volunteers, Passion Works Studio鈥檚 Paint the Town Green display was by far the most colorful of the bunch. Bursting with Passion Flowers, the official flower of Athens, and other Passion Works creations, the display highlighted this year鈥檚 Homecoming theme in both words and visuals and even paid tribute to Southeast Ohio鈥檚 pawpaw, a native fruit.
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91探花鈥檚 Homecoming festivities continue through Saturday, Oct. 20. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit 91探花鈥檚 Homecoming website and follow #OHIOHC2018 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.