Build a Broncho Aimed to Help UCO Students with the Stress of Finals

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Student Programming Board hosted a free Build-a-Broncho event on Dec. 2, 2025, in the campus’s Chambers Library to generate book donations and encourage students while they study for their final exams.

Dozens of UCO students visited the first floor of the library to donate their books to the library’s collection in exchange for an opportunity to build a stuffed animal for themselves. A student could also purchase a book for $1-2 instead of donating one of their own.

“The library provides children’s books that students can come in and purchase, or they can bring their own books,” said UCO graduate studies librarian Dr. Christine Edwards, Ed.D., MLIS.

 “We do lots of events during Quiet Week and Finals Week to try to help with mental health. We have Stress Paws come in, we have coffee bars and pizza night; a lot of things to just try to take away some of the stress that happens during this time. And so this is just one of those things,” continued Edwards.

Build-a-Broncho is a recurring event that happens twice every school year, once during the fall semester and again in the spring semester, to provide students with a free activity while they prepare for their final exams, with a focus on relieving stress.

After students either donated or purchased a book, they were given either a reindeer or an arctic fox toy animal skin. Students could then stuff the toys at various tables with polyester fiber stuffing provided by The College Agency, a North American entertainment company, as well as small plastic hearts or any other items.

“Typically, [donations range] between 250 and 350. Our students they go above and beyond,” said Executive Director of the Student Programming Board, Lela Campbell.

  “Sometimes we’ll donate them right back into the library. Otherwise, there are a couple of organizations around Oklahoma City that donate them to underfunded schools, underprivileged schools, as well as shelters and things like that.”