The cold temperatures did little to cool the school spirit Friday morning, as Rogers State University student volunteers painted the town red – and blue – for Paint the Town in anticipation of homecoming week.
Paint the Town is an annual RSU homecoming week tradition of painting the windows of participating businesses on Main Street (in downtown Claremore) with Hillcat Pride-themed imagery.
“Paint the Town is our traditional event that kicks off homecoming week, in which, RSU students volunteer to paint the windows of participating businesses on Main Street (in downtown Claremore) with designs representing Hillcat pride,” said Travis Peck, RSU director of alumni engagement. “This is our third year for this (event) and student and business engagement has been strong, with 75 student volunteers, representing 15 student organizations painting Hillcat-themed designs on the windows of 17 businesses downtown.”
All paint and brushes are provided by Spectrum Paint in Claremore, with additional supplies being provided by the Office of Student Affairs.
In addition to promoting Hillcat spirit in the community, Paint the Town volunteers will be competing for top honors and prizes, with first place earning $200, second place earning $150, and third place earning $50 for their respective student organizations.
“We’ll be judging the windows based on creativity, RSU spirit, overall aesthetic, and artistry,” Peck said. “All of the designs will be left on the business windows until after homecoming, with a clean-up day to take place at the end of the day Monday, Feb. 13.”
For a complete list of homecoming week activities and events, visit www.rsu.edu/homecoming.