On April 25, the Student Activities Board (SAB) hosted its annual Spring Fling Carnival,
transforming the Xavier parking lot into a mini amusement park.
The carnival featured classic attractions such as a Ferris wheel and bumper cars, creating
a festive atmosphere on the Seton Hall campus. Students lined up for rides, indulged in
carnival snacks, and enjoyed the chance to connect with friends before diving into exam
season.
Matthew Schoner, a junior majoring in the occupational therapy program, shared his excitement: “I am having so much fun at the carnival tonight,” Schoner said. “I don’t get to go to carnivals often. I’m from North Jersey, so I don’t have the beach, like the shore area where there’s always the boardwalk.”
There were food trucks along with the typical carnival food, such as french fries and funnel cake.
“My favorite carnival food are the fried Oreos,” Schoner said.
This event allowed students to have fun with their friends, to get involved, as well as engage with others.
Makayla Lusk, a senior biology major, attended her last carnival as a student. She said she came not only with friends, but also with her family.
“I think just coming together is a lot of fun,” Lusk said. “That’s the highlight for me.”
Schoner said this year’s Spring Fling Carnival was better than the last one.
“I like the rides this year. It feels more spread out…I like the caricature in the back this year, I like the food, I like the games. This is my favorite event,” Schoner said.
Lusk also agreed this year’s carnival was better.
“I think it’s a little better than the one last year,” Lusk said. “One, because the weather is much nicer, so a lot of people came out, but also they never have bumper cars, and I love bumper cars.”
Lusk also said she thinks this event stuck out to her, but there is always room for improvement. She said SAB could add more rides to shorten lines.
“Maybe another faster ride or maybe a little bit of a longer ride,” Lusk said.
There was extra space used for the carnival this year. Zachary Tupajic, a sophomore biology major, noted that it could have been utilized better.
“I think the issue with them opening it up so much is there is a lot of empty space, and they could fill it in a little more,” Tupajic said.
However, for students who bring their vehicles to campus, it posed an issue during the week, as a couple of days were used to set the carnival up, blocking off the parking lot.
“As a commuter, that was my one issue; they took away my parking,” Tupajic said.
The carnival was an opportunity for students to step away from academics as final exam season was fast approaching.
“I feel like nobody’s thinking about finals right now, and me included,” said Olivia Silva, a sophomore psychology major.
Schoner mentioned how the timing of the carnival each year is smart.
“I think this is the perfect way to destress before finals. I think this is a great thing they do. The timeline is perfect.” Said Schoner.
Disclaimer: This article was published later due to scheduling issues. Thank you for your patience.
Morgan Dence is a writer for The Setonian’s Campus Life section. She can be reached at morgan.dence@student.shu.edu.
