The Student Activities Board’s (SAB) annual “Paint Blue” event was held across from Memorial Coliseum Thursday night, Sept. 29.

It featured free T-shirts and Kona Ice, as well as the opportunity to dance, hangout and be splattered with paint.

Paint Blue was originally set to take place on Sept. 2, over “Labor Stay” weekend, but was rescheduled due to improper weather conditions.

Despite being postponed, temperatures were still as low as 48 degrees during Paint Blue, causing some students to pass on the event.

Freshman Sudeys Saman said that even with the cold, he was determined to go.

“I think it’s part of the freshman experience to go to as many events as you can,” he said. “This wasn’t the original date … that also probably led to the turnout being less.”

While many agreed the attendance was underwhelming, SAB Director of Concerts Sophie Stone said Paint Blue had “gone great” regardless.

“Even with the cold weather people are still here … we weren’t prepared for the fact that it was going to be cold, but students seem to be having just as much fun as if we did it on Labor Day, which is when it (the event) was planned for,” Stone said.

The music at the event was performed by a live DJ and consisted mainly of dubstep and trap
remixes to popular songs, by artists like Adele, Jack Harlow and Dua Lipa, as well as mashups.

Chilean native and transfer student Franco Tapia said he would have preferred more Reggaeton tunes.

Tapia had “stumbled upon the event,” and said the highlight of it was the free Kona Ice, though he thought the entirety of the event was fun.

“Every other day I try to do something because if you study too much it can cause too much
stress,” Tapia said. “This was worth it.”

Mac Stokan, a second-year grad student at UK, said he came to this year’s Paint Blue to relive old times.

“I did this event back in 2019 … it was one of my core memories at UK,” Stokan said. “It is a bit chilly, but I think the adrenaline kicking in definitely helps … it doesn’t help that I have a snow cone.”

With it being his last year at the university, Stokan added that he “wanted to go all out” this time, with the goal being to be completely covered in paint. He then reentered the crowd, snow cone in hand.

On the opposite side, Sophomore Brianna Holliday said she wasn’t sure what to expect with
Paint Blue.

“I just love Kona Ice, and I love free stuff,” Holliday said. “I think it was worth it.”

Sophomore William Taylor said they had not “planned very well” but decided to get covered with paint anyways.

Taylor, who attended the event for the promotion of a free t-shirt, said they decided the experience was worth potentially ruining their clothes.

“I’m just glad I’m wearing black pants,” Taylor said. “I want more paint on me honestly,”

Instead of wearing the T-shirt provided and being shot with paint himself, senior Zane Polk laid his shirts on the grass and requested them to be painted while he observed at a distance.

“I only have so many good pairs of jeans,” Polk said.

Polk attributed bad planning as his motivation for the move and admitted he wasn’t sure how the process of getting the shirts painted had worked beforehand.