Spring Carnival relocated to CFA lawn
Starting in 2015, Carnegie Mellon’s beloved tradition of Spring Carnival will be relocated from the parking lot of Morewood Gardens to the parking lot of the College of Fine Arts (CFA). A town hall meeting was held last Thursday in the University Center’s Danforth Lounge to inform the student population about the changes.
In November, David Tepper announced a generous donation of $67 million to help finance the construction of the new Tepper School of Business, which will be built in the parking lot where Spring Carnival is currently held. Although not yet officially decided and announced to the public, the relocation of Carnival has been discussed since last June, according to Tim Leonard, coordinator of student activities, who led the town hall.
Although it presents a major change, some students recognize the benefits of moving Carnival.
Junior communication design major Sam Ahmed said, “I think it’s better that Carnival will be in the middle of campus, rather than on a parking lot by the freshmen dorms. It makes more sense than for Carnival to be so far.”
The Office of Student Activities also considered Gesling Stadium, the East-West Walkway, and the fourth floor of the East Campus Garage as possible locations for Spring Carnival. All of these locations presented their own challenges — because of Gesling Stadium’s brand new turf, for example, the university would be forced to cover the whole stadium so that the turf wouldn’t be ruined, a procedure that is both tedious and costly, according to Leonard.As a result, Leonard said, CFA parking lot and lawn appeared to be the least complicated and most efficient choice.
As of now, booth will take place in the CFA parking lot. The Main Tent, where the comedian will perform, will be on CFA lawn, while the rides will be on the CFA lawn and the Mall.
Last but not least, the concert will take place on the Mall. Since Carnival will predominantly surround the CFA building, Student Activities has recognized the potential of noise complaints from CFA professors and students.
Freshmen fine arts major Bridget Quirk said, “I think CFA students are already so used to things going on around the building, so I don’t think the students will be really affected by the noise.”
On average, about 25 student organizations participate in Booth for Carnival, Leonard said.
The location will not be completely finalized until the next academic year, when Student Activities will get the final count of participating groups.
As part of Carnegie Mellon’s Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, first-year decision science major Colleen Hamilton said, “I think it will be harder for those in the Greek Quad to bring stuff over for booth to CFA. It also looks like there is less space for everything to fit, but other than that, I don’t have any major concerns.” Hamilton, who lives in Pittsburgh, has frequently attended Spring Carnival in the past, and predicts that the event will remain enjoyable and popular in its new location.
Leonard and Student Activities have consulted and will continue to consult with Alumni Relations, AB Tech, and many other committees before the next academic year.
The next steps to finalize the relocation include continued collaboration with faculty and figuring out the specific placement of booths and rides, according to Leonard.