Students build cardboard creations at Habitat for Humanity event

Habitat+for+Humanity+Event

Harsha Chandupatla/Observer

Students hard at work at Habitat for Humanity’s annual charity event.

Aneeka Ayyar, Staff Reporter

What could you build using only cardboard boxes, box cutters and duct tape? Attendees at Habitat for Humanity’s sixth annual Let’s Shack Up event on Sept. 26 found out.

The event, which fundraised $150 for the Cleveland chapter of Habitat for Humanity, asked students to build creations using only the materials provided. The finished products ranged from robots to boats.

The club’s executive board judged the creations, with the winners receiving free Habitat for Humanity t-shirts. Two winners were crowned, one for most creative and the other for most “home-y.” The winners were a twelve-foot tall dinosaur and a large shack.

“I really enjoyed the freedom of being able to make whatever we wanted,” said freshman Shang Chen, a member of the team that built the dinosaur. “We just randomly decided to make a dinosaur and then we won.”

The event, which was held on Van Horn Field, was deejayed by WRUW, CWRU’s campus radio station, and also featured performances from Case Juggling Club and Case In Point.

“The juggling team actually taught me and my friends how to juggle,” said freshman Megha Mansey. “Even though we were terrible, it was a lot of fun learning.”

The event was advertised using table tents at the dining halls, and through Residence Hall Association and Facebook. However, due to an overlap with Delta Gamma’s charity event, Anchor Splash, attendance was much lower than expected.

“We didn’t realize that it was on the same day as Anchor Splash, which is really popular for all of the Greek affiliated people,” said Karen Chen, treasurer of Habitat for Humanity. “If we had chosen a different date, I think we would have gotten a larger turnout.”

Despite the small turnout, the executive board was happy with the event, especially with the nice weather that allowed them to hold the event outdoors for the first time in years.

“The important thing was to raise awareness for Habitat for Humanity in a fun manner of building,” said Sarah Carbone, president of the club. “We hope more people will come next year.”

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