Painted Street, a staple tradition of the Drake Relays, was cancelled following the decision for students to remain engaged in remote classes for the rest of the semester.
No plans have been solidified at this time to reschedule the event, although organizers are working toward possibly implementing something in the fall.
“We are in the very, very early stages of figuring out what can happen with the street in the fall,” Relays Co-Chair Delia Koolick said in an email interview. “My co-chair and I will soon transition out of this position, and I am graduating, so we will work with the new SAB president as well as the new Relays Co-Chairs to make something happen.”
Traditionally, after the theme for Painted Street is revealed, application packets for organizations are released. After they are due, the Relays co-chairs and SAB President meet to look at the designs. Next, they inquire if there are any small revisions, like color changes before making the final decision about which organizations will get a square on Painted Street.
“I am extremely disappointed that street painting was cancelled, the street would have looked very cool this year and although it would have been a lot of work on our part to make it happen, I would have been so excited to see it come to life,” Koolick said.
Until the announcement, students had been looking forward to giving Painted Street a new look.
“Right now, Painted Street is a little messed up from the winter ice and I was looking forward to seeing it with a new coat of paint and designs that my friends worked on,” freshman Campbell Pipkin said. “I’m in Pre-Med Club and we were thinking about submitting a design for the first time in years, so it’s sad that it will have to be postponed until next year.”
As a senior, Koolick is disappointed that she won’t be able to take part in the tradition one last time but will hold onto the memories she’s already made.
“Participating in Street Painting is unreal,” Koolick said. “I have been involved as someone painting a square, as someone throwing paint, and as a member of the safety patrol team. Throwing paint on people you may never have seen before is so fun and getting to walk down a newly painted street and seeing the square you worked hard on is so cool. It’s really hard to describe, but a feeling I will remember the rest of my life.”
On the opposite side of the spectrum, freshmen are missing out on their first experience with Painted Street and the Drake Relays.
“It’s sad, we’re going to be the first sophomore class in a very long time that has not yet experienced Painted Street,” Pipkin said.
Pipkin believes this unfortunate turn of events will make the tradition even more meaningful for him the following year.
“When we do finally get to experience Painted Street, it’s going to be that much more special because we know how it feels not to have that experience,” Pipkin said.
