Starting a spring carnival tradition
Students and student organizations lined up the driveway leading to the SUL building in celebration of the end of the Spring semester. The Spring Carnival was in full swing. Though the air was crisp and the skies were gray, this did not keep students from enjoying the games and free food offered at the carnival on April 27.
This is the first year the Spring Carnival was held on campus, and it will not be the last. Hosted by the National Residence Hall Honorary and Student Life, the Carnival gave students a break from end of semester studying, and it also served as a networking arena for student organizations.
“This event gives students a way to have fun, relax and de-stress,” said Jennifer Sobierajski, President of the National Residence Hall Honorary and senior computer science major.
The students had a variety of games to choose from including water pong, pick a duck and a coin toss. There was free food that included pizza, chips and churros. There were also other forms of entertainment, including the “Adrenaline Rush” bouncy house obstacle course made available by Just For Jumps, tie-dye available for dying t-shirts along with music provided by DJ Niko Santillan.
The clubs and organizations present at the carnival included Spanish Club, Alpha Psi Lambda, Student Government, Office of Campus Life and the National Society of Black Engineers. The Spring Carnival gave student organizations and clubs a chance to connect with students.
The organizations treated students with snacks or games that reflected what they stood for. Spanish Club had Loteria, or Spanish bingo, laid out for students. Alpha Psi Lambda, a Latino co-ed fraternity, displayed poster boards with information about their fraternity.
“We are here to create a nice and inviting atmosphere on campus,” said Hector Cabrera, external vice president of Alpha Psi Lambda and sophomore communication major.
Sobierajski was inspired to create this event after watching a scene from the movie “Grease” in which students were enjoying an end-of-the-year carnival at their high school. Though the carnival from the movie was bigger than the Spring Carnival, she still has high expectations for the years ahead. Even though she will be graduating, she is passing the event over to Cody Dallas, Student Life Coordinator and Jeremy Williams, Hall Director at the Housing Department.
“Hopefully more student organizations will be willing to participate in the event, and more games will take place, such as a potato sack race, egg spoon races, water balloon toss, and a dunk tank,” Sobierajski said. “Maybe we can also get a ferris wheel.”
Though the hosts have more plans in mind for the years ahead, and despite the unfortunate cold weather, they are more than satisfied with the final product.
“We want to continue to create as many traditions for PNW as possible,” Williams said.