By Faith McCray and Em Maxey
On Feb. 24, drag queen, cookie artist Plenty O’Smiles from Columbus, Ohio, visited the University of Lynchburg campus to teach students how to decorate cookies. Plenty O’Smiles is a proud business owner of Plenty O’Cookies which has been up and running for almost six years.
O’Smiles said, “The way I started drag was at an amature drag show at Ohio State University, nothing really inspired me. My friend was hosting this event and had asked me my junior year and I had chicken out because I had never done drag before. My senior year I saw my first drag show, and I was just like I’m gonna do it.”
O’Smiles said her drag persona was inspired by the way she wanted to look like a ‘60s housewife. When O’Smiles began baking, she decided to put the two together, by becoming a ‘60s housewife that bakes cookies.
She had mentioned that her favorite experiences surrounding drag are the people that she meets. “I hope students will love to bake and decorate cookies more,” stated O’Smiles. To have students gain more exposure to different communities within the LGBTQ+ community is one goal of Plenty’s.
O’Smiles wants to let students of the LGBTQ+ students know, “there is always going to be someone there for you, even if you feel like you don’t belong. That is totally fine and that’s very normal. There is always someone who will be there for you and care about you.”
O’Smiles says that exposure to different types of people is very important. “Representation matters. I did a Food Network show once. They had pictures of me in drag. I wasn’t in drag the whole time, but I had so many people reach out to me because they had never seen a drag queen baker on TV before. So, having that representation shows people that a drag queen is a normal person… I just want them to have exposure to different communities.”
Jyoti Aggarwal, participant at the event, says that the events the Student Activities Board (SAB) hosts are important to international students to get out and learn new things. “We should feel that everyone is equal, that should be the religion of everyone. To treat everyone equally… and respect everyone equally,” says Aggarwal.
“[Events like these] will open students’ minds, there are things outside of studies,” states Aggarwal.
Chesapeake West, SAB organizer of the event, states “We are trying to bring different events to campus to bring the student body together with everyone on campus.”
The SAB would like to say to all LGBTQ+ members, “SAB loves you.” SAB members say Donuts on the Dell, John Rush, and Petting Zoo events are coming soon to campus.
If you would like more information about these events or the SAB, please contact SAB at sab@lynchburg.edu.
