Students lingered longer than usual in the Cayman Café Wednesday, March 27 as Carnival Night took place. Students enjoyed specialty treats such as popcorn, snowballs, hot dogs and nachos, and had the opportunity to play games and perform karaoke.  Carnival Night was co-hosted by Campus Dining and Campus Activities Board (CAB).
“We like to choose themes for events that are appealing to students,” said April Field, Aramark marketing manager. “We enjoy hosting events like these because it gives students an added flair to their evening dinner in Cayman Café, especially when it includes entertainment like karaoke.”
 After the mention of the carnival theme in the first Campus Dining Advisory Board meeting, students present immediately gave positive feedback, such as providing a variety of food options including hot dogs, nachos and popcorn.
These ideas came to life at Carnival Night.  Students were able to experience a change in the traditional menu offered by Campus Dining.
“This is a lot of fun,” said Timothy Reling, psychology and criminal justice senior who participated in karaoke.  “I’m glad they do this sort of stuff. They need to do it more often. I’m really relaxed so I didn’t mind singing.”
One game available was a wheel students could spin to win a prize. For some, this was a highlight to the night.
“I liked it. It’s creative. I like the wheel because you win prizes and I like winning prizes,” said Brianka Peyton, accounting sophomore. “The karaoke makes it a more home environment.”
CAB employees served the popcorn and several flavors of snowballs to excited students. Attached to each bag of buttery popcorn was a flier advertising an upcoming CAB event with a mentalist to be hosted April 23.   
“We have this on to advertise and hope people will see it enough in advance and come out and attend,” Averi Harris, sophomore psychology major and CAB employee. “It will be a good show.”
While many enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the night, some students did not enjoy the live karaoke while eating.
“I don’t like being trapped while I’m trying to eat in a cafeteria where someone is attempting to sing a really good song,” said Casey Ausman, senior art major. “Overall I think music just isn’t such a great idea just because no one likes the same music.  Games are nice and quiet. You don’t have to deal with anyone playing a game. You don’t have to hear them.”
Previous Campus Dining events have included an Ice Cream Bar, St. Patrick’s Day Feast and a Magician Night.
“We hold a couple of events each month, with some of the smaller scale events highlighting a specific station such as dessert,” said Field. “Other events offer a full survey event, meaning every station goes with the theme.”
For more information about upcoming events contact CAB at [email protected].