With the semester off to a strong start, the reopening of the Paper and Clay Center has brought new life to campus.
A center that offers Tech students a chance to express their creativity and explore their passions and interests outside of their STEM-focused academics, Paper and Clay has been a big hit since its reopening.
While the center was previously in the Student Center, it was confined to a small room in the Flag Building during the student center’s reconstruction.
With frequent visitors, this setup was not feasible as the room would get crammed and was not adequate space for the center to thrive.
Because of this, the new Paper and Clay center has been opened in a far more spacious building known as the pavilion area right across from Rising Roll.
A short walk from the library as well as the CRC, the center is conveniently placed at the epicenter of campus.
The new building is reflective of the creativity that flourishes inside. Sunlight streams in and wide tables are set up for students and their peers to sit down and get creative.
Fin Taylor, second-year CM, and Lujain Diab, fourth-year BIOCHEM, are two of the Paper Clay attendants who work at the center.
Diab described the center as a place that was created to “cater to students’ creativity, let them have a safe space to relax, and make arts and crafts.”
She said, “Often in STEM schools you don’t have a chance to make art and use your creative side.”
Taylor went on to say, “I feel like this is really a place you can come to destress and relax in between classes.”
In a prime location on campus, the Paper and Clay center is the perfect pit stop after your classes, during your lunch break, or even after a trip to the gym for some much-needed exercise.
Although it has been a fairly new reintroduction back to Tech’s campus, the center has seen plenty of students who have come in to make crafts or design their own pottery.
Taylor explained that although he has not seen as many students at the center as he had originally hoped, the numbers are starting to pick up as the semester progresses and students are starting to catch wind of the
center and its offerings.
“We have recently opened our clay section and we also have a ceramics section where students can paint premade ceramics if they don’t want to get their hands dirty. We offer painting and even arts and crafts to
students,” said Diab.
The crafts include coloring pages, beads and keychains, acrylic paint, perler beads, etc. As for ceramics, students can paint anything from bowls and mugs to room decor.
The center has opportunities of all kinds for students with various interests.
The main goal of the center is to provide the campus with a space for members of the community to unwind and express their creativity in a productive manner.
Everything from pottery to painting is available to all students. “You don’t have to have a lot of money or even experience to come visit us. The Paper and Clay center welcomes everyone,” said Diab.
Their ceramics range anywhere from $3 to $9, their pottery varies by the inches of clay purchased, and all of their crafts are free. It is a very affordable activity for college students alike.
Experts and amateurs alike are welcome to try their luck at the center. The staff at Paper and Clay are always willing to help students out and guide them in the right direction.
The center is even available for reservations. Whether it’s for a social gathering, team building event, or birthday, anyone can reserve the space.
The center occasionally hosts events that are open to the community.
They recently held a Valentine’s Day event in which they offered students the opportunity to make heart-shaped crafts, valentines, and paper flowers as well as make pottery by hand. This is just one way busy students can unwind and find community.
The staff at Paper and Clay encourages everyone to stop by the center. To learn more about the Paper and Clay center and its many offerings, visit https://studentcenter.gatech.edu/paper-clay.