The Collegian

Issue date: 4/25/06 Section: News

Media Credit: COLLEGIAN ARCHIVES The Carnival 4 Kids is held every year and is a chance for Saint Mary's students to interact with and have fun with children from various part of the Bay Area.

This Friday, April 28, Saint Mary's will be putting on the anticipated fourth annual Carnival 4 Kids. This event was started in order to "promote higher education to children who might not consider college as an option," said Arthor Curley '08, who is on the committee this year for Big Buddies. He, along with over 300 other volunteers from around campus, will be putting on the event.

The event has been in preparation for months by a student volunteer committee with support from the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA). This year it is being co-chaired by Katie Ferguson '07 and Omari Starks '07. Others on the committee include students such as Anton Taruc '06 and Tiffany Melo '09, who represent Residence Life; Jamie Zepeda '07 and Melissa Stetson '06, who are in charge of club representation; Kate Coulouras '09, Alana Weinroth '09, and Elizabeth Cruz '09 on decoration detail; and many more.

As far as the children who attend the event, they are typically from various schools and organizations around the Bay Area. This year they will specifically be coming from Alameda Point Collaborative, East Bay Conservation Corps Charter School, Woodier, and Saint Martin De Porras. The anticipated 180 children who will be attending are somewhere between the ages of five and 10, and for their brief stay at Saint Mary's they will engage in various games and activities, do arts and crafts, and visit the over-40 booths that will be present and sponsored by various clubs, sports teams, and organizations on campus.

The day also takes place to "foster a relationship between under-served children and the college students who can be mentors and role models," said Curley. It is not difficult for college students to get caught up in the sometimes bubble-like atmosphere of their university, so this is an excellent way to get kids thinking outside of their experience, and to really build bridges between the elementary school students and the college students.

At a Lasallian Institution, it seems only fitting that this event falls at the conclusion of the Lasallian heritage week. In an order which emphasizes community, community service, and a concern for the poor among other values, the carnival will be a way to display the school's Lasallian heritage.

The main reason of all for the carnival however, is "to provide a fun carnival for those kids, and to encourage meaningful volunteer involvement among Saint Mary's students," said Curley. The carnival promises to be fun for all parties involved-both attending as well as volunteering students. It will be a way to bring the whole community together, from faculty and staff to students, and together to serve the greater community.

Students are encouraged to attend, and as a final address to the community Curley said, "We're all really excited, and expect it to be a wonderful event. We have all worked very hard, and we thank everyone for their help and participation."

After months of planning and preparation the event is expected to go off without a hitch.

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