Pieces of love: Stuff-a-plush in Seegers

The evening of Nov. 4 brought a very exciting event to the Muhlenberg campus—Stuff-a-Plush. We may all be college students, and some would say too old to care about stuffed animals, but when I arrived to the event a half an hour early, there were already at least 50 people in line. The excitement in the hallway of Seegers was palpable. Even though we all range from ages 18 and 22, it’s still nice to take a break from all of the academic pressures of college and stuff a plush.

The concept of Stuff-a-Plush is simple: wait in line for way too long, pick which material-based animal you want, and stuff it with cotton. Personally, I have attended Stuff-a-Plush more times then I care to admit and have started to run out of new animals to select. They have everything: dogs, elephants, cats, turtles, bears and so much more. This time I went with the classic bear. The choice can be a hard one. You don’t want to choose wrong, which is probably why they have now instituted a new rule that says each person only has two minutes to pick their animal. Once you choose, you proceed to the stuffing station, where boxes of cotton await.

The students who work this event from Muhlenberg's Activities Council (MAC) say that it is the most popular event they see on campus and can be kind of overwhelming for workers and stuffers alike. The girl who was controlling the line was a freshman and had never worked Stuff-a-Plush before. She said that she had heard that it was popular, but nothing prepared her for the line. Luckily, they only allow a certain amount of people in at a time, so it does not get too crowded in the actual activity. The woman who works for the company says no matter what school she goes to it is always very well-attended. There is just something about stuffed animals that brings people out. Stuff-a-Plush happens about two times a semester— once at night and once at a festival during the day; it happened at Fall Fest earlier this semester. College is full of tests, homework, essays, activities, and a lot of busy times. It is helpful that Muhlenberg provides something that lets students relax and go back to their childhood. We have a lot of entertaining activities throughout the semester, but Stuff-a-Plush is consistently a favorite. This time I attended Stuff-a-Plush with two people who had never been before. They did not understand how fun Stuff-a-Plush could be, so it took some persuading to convince them to come with me. By the end of the night, though, with a dog, a bear, and a wolf in their arms, they understood the appeal. One of my friends even said, “I’m so glad I came; this is the most fun I have had this semester!” It might sound cheesy or childish, but Stuff-a-Plush is really so much fun and is definitely my favorite event at Muhlenberg. Sometimes college students just need a fun break and Stuff-a-Plush is the perfect Friday night.