Kaitlyn Hughes | Staff Writer
Sept. 15, 2022
Duquesne University students gathered in the Union on Thursday to help create blankets for the homeless, an event that comes every fall season.
From 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., any interested students were able to stop down to Room 119 in the Union to make warmth for those who may not have access to it.
Evan Frizzell, the graduate assistant for Union Operations and Night Spot Programming (UONSP), believed that it would be a perfect time to make blankets for the homeless as a service project because “the winter months are coming.”
Frizzell also provided insight and instructions on how students could make colorful and pattern-oriented blankets.
“I think the ones out right now are all kits,” Frizzell said. “It’s just two pieces of fleece fabric and about every inch you’ll cut an inch or two up. And then, after you do all those, you’ll go back and tie them so that it makes a double-layered fleece blanket.”
Students from any grade or any major were welcome.
The event was not only a great way to give back to the community, but it was also a creative outlet for students participating. Alexis Cross said that she not only wanted to help, but she also wanted to make something that was unique and creative.
Cross usually creates pieces with whatever she can find at home, so this event was right up her alley. But, she found the process of blanket making to be a little tricky the first time around.
“Trying to tie the knots in the blanket, that’s kind of hard,” Cross said.
Similar to others participating, this event had a positive impact on Cross, who said she felt good to be able to help others.
“I like helping people,” Cross said. “It lets you be free.”
Some students in attendance even treated this event as a social opportunity, including Katherine Zhou and Natasha Karlik, who came together in order to spend time with one another while giving back to the community.
“It’s a great opportunity to spend time with your friends,” Zhou said.
They found the event through their student emails.
“I saw the student email about all the events today,” Karlik said. “There was also salsa dancing … I chose to come here because I wanted to give back to people who are in need and people who … may not have the same warmth, home or things as I do.
“[It’s] just a way to give back to the community.”
Two students, Leak Mrosko and Sophie Perrino, were not even planning on attending this event, but said they were delighted to go when they heard about the cause. Perrino said she picked up the technique fairly quickly.
“Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward,” Perrino said. “I’ve never done this before, but it was pretty easy for me to grasp. “It’s not too time-consuming, either.”
Mrosko agreed, saying that “it’s not physically straining” and that “anyone can do it.”