The scene is reminiscent of a fourth grade arts class. Long tables covered in white paper with paints, brushes and other art accoutrement cover the floor of the Crafts Center. Carolin Harris and Caroline Okun, both seniors in graphic design and designers for the school’s literary magazine Windhover, write the “rules of engagement” for the artists who will paint the covers of this year’s edition of the magazine:

1. Do not [please] fold the covers.2. No profanity/vulgar design.3. Decorate smooth side of cover.4. Have fun — be creative.

“We have 2,350 covers,” Harris said. “We want to get as many [covers] as possible today.”

A hefty amount of covers for a room that was barren except for the two women when the event began at 5 p.m.

The covers, made of thick brown stock, were made to be folded later by the printers and will come together with Chicago-style screws. Each edition of the 2006 Windhover will be unique, with a different design painted right on it by those who attended last night’s session and those who will paint the leftovers in the College of Design library.

Before the ladies can even begin to worry about a poor turnout the first painter arrived to lend his idea of what the Windhover covers should look like.

Sean Coleman, a freshman in industrial design, used the color white on his covers and drew what has become a recurring theme in his work.

“I submitted a wire sculpture of a horse [to Windhover],” Coleman said. “I love horses and want to incorporate that [on the covers] and whatever hits me.”

The room was soon full of individuals all contributing their skills to create covers that were both different but added to the overall theme of unity throughout the University.

“I think Windhover is supposed to belong to the whole University,” Lauren Broeils, a senior in graphic design, said.

Students weren’t the only ones leaving their mark in the Crafts Center. Tim Buie, a professor in industrial design, brought his young son Simon to paint covers with him.

“I love to customize things — make them my own,” said Buie, as son Simon scribbled across the cover before him while chewing M&M’s.

A majority of those who came to paint covers were students in the College of Design, which should be no surprise because of the pride the college takes in Windhover as an example of its students’ hard work.

“The Design school is into it as an artifact,” Jessica Gladstone, a graduate student in graphic design, said. “It’s pretty in the family.”

Although many students dipping their brushes in the Crafts Center were of the art and design persuasion, it shouldn’t be confused that all who participated were gifted artists.

Brit Hayes, senior in graphic design and editor of Windhover, was excited to see the mix of people that came to the Crafts Center.

“People are here from different backgrounds to make something different,” Hayes said. “I’m excited about how they’re going to turn out.”

Covers were completed and set to dry to the side as more artists arrived and took their turn with the brush, marker or stencil to create a magazine that is their own.

2,350, 2,349, 2,348 covers and so on as the University’s award-winning magazine took another step towards completion.