Despite contractual issues, the University Board will still host a “Teach Me Tuesday” program on the how to make dreamcatchers Tuesday.

The program will focus on dreamcatchers and will take place at 7 p.m. in the 7th Street Underground of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Originally, the program was to have a speaker to teach about the history of dreamcatchers and go through the process of how they are made. However, that will not be the case, as a contract was never drawn up between the UB and the artist.

The UB members will instead teach the informational session, and attendees will be provided with the supplies to make their own dreamcatchers during the session.

Darius Francis, a sophomore communication studies major and cultural arts coordinator for the UB, said he found out about the lack of contract last week and did not think the program would happen.

“I was going through our checklist of things that needed to be done for the event, and one of the steps is to call the agent to confirm the contract,” Francis said. “ I called the agent, and they didn’t have any contract on file for Eastern Illinois University.”

Francis said he thought the group would have to cancel the session because there was not way a contract could be drawn up only five days before the program.

“I was really frustrated,” Francis said. “Cultural arts has been doing a lot, and there has been a lot for me to do; I didn’t have time for this.”

He said after talking to other UB members, they were able to come up with this solution of having them teach instead of canceling the program.

“We thought this would be a good way to still hold the program,” Francis said. “Instead of just learning about them like it was planned before, why not make them instead?”

Francis said he found dreamcatcher kits he was able to order online, and the UB still had supplies left over from last year’s program that also focused on this type of art.

“It will basically be a craft session,” Francis said.

He said he and other UB members would also talk about the history of dreamcatchers, what they mean and where they come from.

Dreamcatchers originate from multiple Native American cultures and are believed to “screen” dreams so that only pleasant dreams are allowed through.

Francis said in his research he also came up music from the various Native American cultures that use dreamcatchers and that it will be playing during the session.

The program will end with a raffle for a professionally made dreamcatcher.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or alwywialowski@eiu.edu.