University Star

The Under the Big Top Carnival will take over the Concho Green May 3. Texas State students will have an opportunity to take a study break on the Concho Green from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Students will be able to enjoy typical carnival fare such as lemonade, cotton candy, nachos and snow cones, as well as a live performance from Southside Union.

Gillian Amaro, Lantana residence hall director, said she is excited about the upcoming event.

“(The resident assistants) really wanted to do a bigger program — end with a bang so to speak,” Amaro said. “They really wanted to take it an extra step.”

Denim Pittman, co-coordinator, said the carnival is a collaboration of ideas and hard work.

“You can usually get up to $200 in petty cash for a program,” said Pittman, mass communication senior. “We wanted to open it up (for everyone), not just Lantana hall. We got (a grant) approved and we are pretty excited about it.”

The carnival refreshments are free because of the grant that the Lantana resident assistants petitioned for and received.

Pittman explained the carnival is both educational and fun, with the games geared toward helping students get ahead.

“For intellectual we have a duck pond that will have little SLAC study tips,” Pittman said. “Occupational is going to be a coke toss, where there will be fun facts about how to get a job for the summer. The San Marcos Athletic Center is going to have a football toss and the cakewalk will talk about how to eat healthy through finals and avoid stress eating.”

Throughout the year, Lantana Hall has put on different programs educating residents about everything from safe sex practice to the dangers of drunk driving.

Amaro said the carnival is designed to be a fun break for campus residents.

“We want to incorporate all of the things we tried to do with programs,” Amaro said. “We want (the carnival) to be both interactive and informative.”

Kinzy Patton, co-coordinator, said the carnival will feature a moon bounce, dunking booth and a caricature artist through Three Ring Circus, located in Austin.

“The residents will get a chance to see the fun side of their resident directors, resident assistants, hall council members and other residents participating in the dunking booth,” she said.

Patton, journalism sophomore, said students who attend can look forward to making their own keepsakes.

“Throughout the year we have found that Lantana residents enjoy doing crafts, so we plan to provide different shapes of containers to allow residents to use their creativity and decorate the inside of the container with colored sand, similar to a craft station at a fair,” Patton said.

The Network, a Texas State organization that aims to educate students on wellness and healthy attitudes and behavior, is sponsoring a kissing booth.

“It is designed to give students information on sexual health,” Amaro said.

Amaro said she feels the carnival is also a good way for students to have closure on the school year.

“I think it will be a really great way for them to let off some steam, learn about new study tips before finals and everything can come full circle,” Amaro said.

Pittman said having the Concho Green gave them a reason to organize a bigger event.

“We figured it is easiest for residents to get to, instead of going to Sewell Park,” Pittman said. “(Residents) will see it from their rooms and they can just walk down. It is there for a reason. They want us to use it, and we figured a good way for us to use it is to have programs out on it.”