STONY BROOK – On Wednesday night, SAC Ballroom A was transformed into an indoor carnival to keep students minds on fun and off of finals.

The circus themed event was organized by the Educational Opportunity Program Student Association to serve as a de-stressor for students in a time of impending examinations.

“I wanted to get out,” said student attendee from the School of Social Work, Nicole Nagey. “I have been studying all week so this is like a break, especially since it doesn’t cost anything.”

Attendees had a variety of games and activities to choose from. A photo booth was set up by the entrance with props for attendees to create funny photos, a popular attraction that lasted all night. Games like ring toss, darts, and bowling encouraged students to play as many times as they wanted to earn tickets.

Depending on the amount of tickets earned, students could get prizes ranging from a rubiks cube to a portable charger.

One of the main features was a bull ride which stood front and center, creating lines of students waiting for their chance to get thrown off the bull.

The idea of getting thrown off of a mechanical bull is the opposite of bothersome for many who have been overwhelmed with the amount of work they needed to complete as the end of the semester looms near.

Lazaro Rivera, the Undergraduate Student Government Sophomore Senator, attended the carnival to relieve stress from finals and classes. “Events like these make me feel relieved; they take the stress off. I get to just hang out and not worry about my finals,” said the 19 year old Psychology and English major.

A live DJ kept the party going with music that had everyone dancing and students hovered over the large array of concessions. Like most carnivals, popcorn and cotton candy were made on the spot while trays of funnel cake and hot pretzels were served. Those with a sweet tooth had the option of using caramel and powdered sugar as toppings or skipping the food altogether and going straight for the ice cream.

The turnout was a lot higher than expected, says EOP Student Association president, Chrissey Celissaint.

“I wasn’t expecting this many people,” said the senior health science major. “I wanted to do this last semester but space was short so I am glad we actually got it done this time.”

Many of the students were glad the carnival was done this semester too. With the abundance of snacks and activities to do, some students expressed how happy they were to have another form of procrastination.

“I saw on the facebook page. I have been watching a lot of Youtube videos but I know I have to go back to studying,” said Srishti Katuri, a 19 year-old freshman biology and psychology double major who found out about the event through Facebook.

In order to be admitted into the carnival, students had to bring school supplies as the entrance fee.

Celissaint says that the SA plans on giving the supplies to incoming EOP students.

“We thought about giving it to new students so they have something fresh to start with,” she said. “It’s good to have something new.”