Students buy last-minute gifts at fair

Heart-shaped balloons swayed in the air as students visited theValentines gift fair in the Hughes-Trigg Commons on Wednesdayafternoon.

The Valentines Fair brought vendors from all over the city tosell jewelry, purses, candles and other items. Most of the itemssold were $15 or less, giving students an inexpensive way to get agift.

“The guys really like how easy it is,” said StaceyBaugh, an SMU graduate and independent beauty consultant for MaryKay cosmetics. “They like to bring me their money and askwhat the girls would like.”

SMU students ran more than half of the booths, said NancyBernardino, marketing manager for the student center.

“We wanted to bring in more things for students, so weencouraged students, staff and faculty by giving them a reducedrate,” Bernardino said.

Vendors paid $200 to have a booth in the commons as well as twoweeks of advertising or $125 for a table outside.

For some students, this fair gave them an opportunity topublicize their work or their organization.

Sigma Lambda Gamma sold flower buds made from Hershey Kisses for$1. Before the fair, the sorority was able to hold a social eventto make the flowers, senior Krystel Manansala said.

Junior Brittney Stovall creates purses out of old vinylrecords.

She is glad to have an opportunity to sell to students. This washer second time coming to an event in the commons; she has had somesuccess, as the fair has helped her gain exposure for herproduct.

For some of the vendors, this was their first time toHughes-Trigg. Cynthia Morse, owner of Sent-thia’s Candles,heard about the fair through another vendor, so she decided tocheck it out.