On Sept. 9, Oakland University’s Student Program Board (SPB) hosted its annual carnival. The retro-themed event featured many activities, nostalgic games and food — all provided to students for free.

Upon arriving at the carnival, students were greeted by several hands-on activity stations. One station allowed participants to tie dye shirts, while another allowed them to create their own unique license plates.

The caricature stand and photo booth gave students the opportunity to capture memories in the form of personalized keepsakes. Another popular stand featured an airbrushed temporary tattoo station. 

In keeping with the retro theme, SPB lined the sidewalk with arcade games. Some of the most popular games included pinball, Pac-Man and air hockey.

The carnival also featured a variety of games on the lawn behind Kresge Library. At the game wall, which required students to throw objects through holes to score points, free prizes were given out to every participant. 

“Working the game wall was a lot of fun,” SPB Treasurer Cameron Roach said. “I liked how I was able to communicate with students and hand out free stuff.”

If students chose to go on the event’s rides, they were required to fill out a liability waiver before being given a wristband. The rides included a rock wall, trampolines and an obstacle course.

“We had around 800 students fill out the liability waiver,” SPB Vice President Matthew Murray said. “Our attendance rates were high compared to last year.”

Although Sigma Pi was unable to provide their traditional pig roast, SPB ensured there was plenty of food to go around. Several vendors were stationed throughout the carnival, handing out pizza, hot dogs, donuts and cider to attendees.

“Despite most of our staff being new to SPB, we are very adaptable,” Roach said. “I think we do a good job of rolling with the punches.”

The Dippin’ Dots cart was also a major hit among students. The nostalgic dessert perfectly matched the carnival’s retro theme.

Overall, this year’s carnival was a major success among the student body. While the event itself took SPB months of planning, the hard work was worth the end result.

“My favorite part of the carnival was its reception… people absolutely loved it,” Murray said. “I’d like to especially thank Jen Yetter, Jean Ann Miller, and the OSI for all of their support in making this event possible.”

SPB hopes to continue improving the carnival each year and they hope to achieve their goal by giving students the opportunity to voice their opinions. 

“Students who attended the carnival can email SPB ([email protected]) with comments and suggestions for next year,” Murray said. “We want to continue making this event better, year after year.”

This fall, SPB has many exciting events planned for students, including an Uncharted movie night and a Harry Styles-Taylor Swift tribute night. SPB is currently selling tickets for their Halloweekends at Cedar Point event, which will take place in the first week of October. 

Information for all of SPB’s events can be found on the SPB GrizzOrgs page and their Instagram account. Additionally, tickets for the Halloweekends event can be purchased at the OSI Service Window in the Oakland Center.