From inflatable obstacle courses to reusable T-shirts, this year’s Colonnades Carnival emphasized bringing the Elon community together under the pillars of sustainability and innovation.
Sophomore Emily Lane, the neighborhood’s residence area coordinator, partnered with SGA, Elon Dining, Elon Votes and Eco-Reps to bring the carnival together.
“We’ve been able to do a lot of partnerships. Last year, we didn’t have any inflatables or anything like that, so it’s cool to see that we have a lot more interactive things,” Lane said.
The partnerships not only included funding and resources from SGA, but also Clohan Hall provided additional support by providing carnival-themed dinner.
Eco-Reps, a peer-driven sustainability program, also provided resources for a reusable bag stand, allowing students to make their own bags out of old T-shirts. This partnership revolved around the carnival’s dual themes to convey Elon’s commitment to spreading environmental awareness through innovation.
According to Lane, the purpose of the partnerships was to spread awareness of the event to members of the Elon community.
“It’s awesome to have more of an initiative with multiple partners so that people are more aware of [the carnival],” Lane said.
Freshman Jack Taylor, a Colonnades resident and volunteer for the event, also noticed the impact partnerships had on the carnival’s turnout.
“I really loved how we were able to get people out of their rooms and on the quad, which isn’t as common," Taylor said. "It means a lot because the year is ending. ... It’s nice to have that one last community builder where we’re all just having fun together and just enjoying ourselves before finals.”