A carnival showed off Colorado Mesa University (CMU) organizations and later a bonfire warmed up the crowds. Homecoming Week capped a busy Friday, Oct. 25 with heat, the marching band Maverick Stampede and activities. 

Different clubs and activities littered the Plaza for the carnival, hosted by the Programming Activities Club. 

The Graduate Education and Medical Sciences Club (GEMS) brought a skeleton out for students to test their knowledge. “GEMS is doing a ‘pin the bone on the body.’ We’ve brought a skeleton from the Human Anatomy Lab, so we have some bones for everybody. You just have to put a blindfold on, we’ll spin you around, and if you pin the bone on the right place you’ll get some candy,” GEMS representative Callie Yarbrough said.

Admissions was trying something special for transfer students. “Our booth is for transfer services. We’re collecting transfer stories from people, and celebrating our transfer students throughout the whole year,” Student Ambassador Jackson Enstrom said. “It’s going great, we’re giving them free hats if they fill out their story, and giving out free stuff to people, seeing where everyone’s from, it’s a good time.”

Sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha offered giant checkers and candy to around. A duel with padded sticks awaited students who dared step into the bounce ring, and cotton candy spun around in the machine. Sumo wrestling also offered a claustrophobic chance to have a proper fight.

Later, after the carnival concluded, the bonfire shot flames into the sky, occasionally having to be reigned in by hoses blasting water around the site in case the grass caught fire. Wooden pallets were fed into the fire, blasting the area with heat, providing mercy from the biting cold the nights bring CMU in the fall and winter.