Expressing identity can come in various forms. In this case, it is using beads.
EvCC Student LIFE Trojan Activities Board invited all students of EvCC to a special student event “Bead Who You Are” on Jan. 8. From 1-3 p.m. in the Parks Student Union Trojan Annex, students had the opportunity to assemble a bracelet, necklace or keychain using the beads provided.
The event had trays filled with beads of all shapes, sizes and colors; an explanation of the meaning behind each bead placed above the trays out upon a row of the tables. Some bins contained beads that represented different types of identities, whether they be sexual, ethnic, religious, generational or gender. Others contained unique beads that had more complicated designs or interpretations such as rhinestone.
One of the event organizers, Skyler (Sky) Stensrud, a member of Student LIFE, had their bracelet displayed as an example for participating students to draw inspiration from, while explaining its meaning to any EvCC students who inquired about specific beads on their bracelet.
Some of Stensrud’s beads included a sparkly teal bead which represented their indigenous religion, their Indigenous American background symbolized by a yellow bead and a bright pink bead which stood for their homosexuality.
Throughout the event, many excited discussions and discoveries surrounding the variety of identities being represented by the provided beads were overheard. One such discovery was made by Adrinne Garl, a student at EvCC, when she noticed that her Mormon/Latter Day Saints religion was represented by a sparkly orange bead.
It was surprising to see how many religions were represented given the misconception that few young adults are active practitioners. Among those religions were the most known or practiced. Christianity symbolized with sparkly red, Islam by sparkled bronze, sparkled yellow for Hindu, Jewish by sparkled blue and Buddhism represented using sparkled dark orange.
However, beads for more than just mainstream religions were available. Sikh represented by sparkled purple, African/Diasporic with sparkled brown.
Some participating EvCC students chose not to follow the events suggested craft making prompts and decided to create their own projects with the materials provided. One of these students, Silas McAllister, explained that they were making a gift for their partner, using the beads provided to make a bracelet for them.
“I am using warm colors to signify, well, warmth. I want them to know that even in strange places one can feel safe,” McAllister said.
But why was a simple arts and crafts activity so symbolic? What was the purpose of providing and explaining the variety of unique beads with all these different meanings?
“I wanted students to be able to create something that represents our intersectionality and diversity,” Stensrud said.
They explained how EvCC is very diverse within the student body, with students coming to EvCC from different backgrounds and all walks of life, making our school unique and this event was a way to show that.
Stensrud wanted the student body to keep in mind that as we go throughout our year, let us remember that expressing ourselves allows us to continue to keep “beading our best selves.”
