Exhale. Iris: Art and Literature Club held their second Painting Party with the goal of creating a friendly and “stress-free environment.” On Apr. 14, students came to relax and relieve stress through painting and chatting with friends. Guests were able to paint whatever they wanted on canvas laid out across tables in the Art Wing.

“This is our second one. The first one went really well and we wanted to cultivate creativity and have a stress-free environment,” Co-president of Iris, Amodhya Samarakoon said.

With all of the stress surrounding the fourth quarter, the event gave students a time to relax and socialize their classmates. Many students, like ninth grader Ashley Su, came for the first time after hearing about it in the Blue Sheet or from friends.

“I came because I needed a break from all of the rigorous classes and it is a fun experience to bond with friends and classmates,” Su said.

Students enjoyed painting because it is a great activity that anyone can do and not have to worry about.

“[Painting] is calming because you just do it and you don’t really have to think about it,” sophomore Elea Besse said.

As well as providing a break from school, it also is an opportunity to try something new.

“It’s not something I do very often and I don’t think a lot of people do this type of painting regularly so it’s just fun to try,” said senior president A.M. Roberts.

The Painting Party is a fun way to explore other people’s interests and reflects community values.

“I think part of what makes SPA so great is that there are a ton of people that do different things and so it’s awesome when you are given a chance to take part in other people’s interests,” senior Tabeer Naqvi said.