Spring Carnival. Ah, that time of year when Carnegie Mellon University's campus thaws and students celebrate warmer weather. Times have changed, and events have evolved, but the spirit of celebration remains.
While a variety of spring festivities started taking place on campus as early as 1914, Carnival as it is known today started around 1920 when Sweepstakes, or Buggy racing, also began, said University Archivist Julia Corrin. It was a time when life was returning to normal after World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic.
"Everyone was coming back from World War I, and there was a feeling that people wanted to celebrate and have a big party," she said. "It took Carnival to a level it had not been previously. "There was a circus, plays and stuff going on all weekend along with an explicit intent to have alumni return and reconnect to the school over the weekend."