The annual Clubs and Organizations Carnival takes hundreds of hours planning and preparing by Weber State University Student Association to ensure everything goes off smoothly.
WSUSA Vice President of Clubs and Organizations Katie Giddens meticulously reviewed the carnival to make changes for the next year, even when the it had just ended. She was more than happy with how the event went.
She was very impressed to have stellar student involvement throughout the entirety of the event. The enormous event had between 55 and 60 booths total, alongside outside vendors and performers.
The booths advertised with decorations, food, prizes and giveaways. The planning team brought in samba dancers and the three-time national champion WSU cheerleaders who performed in the Shepherd Union Atrium. Students could participate in an escape room on wheels in the Bell Tower plaza. There were even snakes attendees could hold, if they were so inclined.
“Five months of planning really does pay off,” Giddens said. “None of it would have been possible without my advisor Heather and my incredible team.”
Raven Uribe, a member of the WSUSA Leadership team, noted she and her team reserved her table for carnival about two weeks in advance to ensure a front row seat with a lot of traffic. She believed that people came to her table because they were lucky enough to get a spot near many performances, such as the Aerialist and samba dancers.
“There was a really good representation by the clubs and orgs, Greek Life and student association,” Uribe said.
Many used the carnival to appeal to the student population at large, inviting members to join specifically-minded organizations.
Kacey Naea is a member of both of the The Ohana Association and Black Scholars United and represented them at the carnival booth.
“Activities and meetings are flexible or set with your schedule so you can attend,” Naea said. “Members are friendly and your mentor is there to guide you.”
Naea said that both clubs provide opportunities to participate in exciting events and meet new people. Club members also share culture and diversity to get to know each other better and to guide any student in need of assistance with stress and school.
American Indian Senator and Secretary in the American Indian Council Bessie Pettigrew joined because she wanted to have a place at WSU where she felt she could relate to people who come from a similar background as herself. She wanted to be more involved while attending college and felt that she could accomplish that through being involved with AIC.
She recommended people join AIC because she sees it as a great opportunity to learn more about Native American culture, and it is also a chance to get to know some of the Native students who attend Weber.
