Kitty Karnival brings together students, alumni and children
October 17, 2012
By Alexis Gray
Fall is officially under way and the homecoming spirit was in the air at UK’s seventh annual Kitty Karnival on Tuesday night.
Children of UK faculty and alumni got to enjoy face painting and treats in the South Campus Courtyard.
The Kitty Karnival also featured an assortment of carnival games created by student organizations on campus.
Mechanical engineering senior Shelby Gehlhausen attended as a host to one of the many booths.
“We decided to go with Pin the Tail on the Wildcat,” Gehlhausen said. “It’s sort a play off of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with a school-spirit twist. It’s also kid-friendly and easy to play.”
Each child who participated in the game received a piece of candy as a prize.
“Everyone is a winner here, but a lot of kids have gotten it so far,” Gehlhausen said.
Most of the students who attended had a hand in running one of the playful booths.
Psychology freshman Lizz Gentry was there experiencing her first college homecoming event.
“This week has been stressful because of midterms, but it’s a relief to get my head out of the books just for a second,” Gentry said.
Gentry and others agreed that the petting zoo, which featured llamas, goats and sheep, was the highlight of the event.
Also in attendance were representatives from Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow and Team Wildcat. Both organizations work to connect current students and alumni through service work, events and the community.
Media arts and studies junior Emily Dicks was there as a part of the STAT/Team Wildcat booth.
Most of the kids were from the community, or children of faculty and alumni, Dicks said.
“These types of events are very important because they get the community involved, as well as alumni,” Dicks said. “They get to come back and participate in the homecoming activities and with this one, their family can participate.”
