Magazine clippings, stickers and photos quickly turned into creative collages defining beauty at today’s event at the Multi-Cultural Center.

The interactive workshop and open dialogue focused on challenging the social norms of beauty, image and disability.

More than 30 students participated in the event hosted by Services to Students with Disabilities and the Multi-Cultural Center.

Tables set up with scrapbooking paper, magazines, pens, scissors and glue allowed students to mingle while creating art pieces answering the question, “What is beauty?”

“I really like doing (the collage) because it’s a way to talk to people, express yourself and get new ideas,” said Pablo Baxter, junior marketing major.

Baxter came to the event because he wants to get more involved on campus and he is interested in learning about gender and how it is portrayed in the media.

Baxter was one of three males at the event.

“If I learn something today, I’ll be able to pass it on to other males in an easier way, rather than having a female trying to talk to a male who initially might be apprehensive to that teaching,” Baxter said before the event started.

After spending time snipping and pasting, students were given an opportunity to share their collages with the rest of the group.

Nailah Upshaw, freshman health science major, was the first to share her collage. She said she included a photo of a smiling girl in her collage because her definition of beauty has to do with attitude.

“If you’re happy within, you’re attractive,” Upshaw said.

Johana Mandap, junior English major, said beauty should be expressed by making the world a better place instead of focusing so much on outward beauty.

“This is the United States where it’s all about making money, advertisements and turning things like deodorant into something sexy,” Mandap said.

To show her disapproval for this way of thinking, Mandap created her collage using only photographs from National Geographic.

Baxter said beauty is relative and his definition of beauty is complex.

“It’s multi-dimensional,” Baxter said. “There’s personality, looks, attitude and everything that comprises us as human beings.”

Baxter said it is good to have a place on campus to talk openly about important issues.

“There’s a good vibe of encouragement here,” Baxter said. “It’s an open space where you can feel free to say whatever you want, I mean, in the boundaries of respect and tolerance.”

Senior international relations major Sara Vogler, who helped coordinate the event, said she is grateful to all the students who participated in the event.

“The gratuity and the gratification that I feel right now is amazing,” Vogler said. “The sharing and the community that was just created here is just beautiful to me and I appreciate it very much.”

Inna Gritsak can be reached at [email protected]