Kicking off the first day of the spring semester on Monday, January 12, Kean University held the annual Winter Carnival, welcoming students to a fresh new start to the year. From 2 pm to 5 pm, the Miron Student Center atrium featured a lively atmosphere filled with food, activities, and a DJ to help students ease back into campus life after winter break.
As students visited tables for different organizations and stood in line for cinnamon rolls and matcha drinks, they shared how they felt about their vacation and returning to campus.
Larry Fitzgerald, a freshman and Sports Management major from Newark, NJ, talked about how he spent his winter break with family and friends. On coming back to campus, he commented, “I’m not too excited about it, but it’s time to lock in.”
He enjoyed the Winter Carnival, noting that it gave him a smooth push back into the rhythm of campus life. Fitzgerald’s goal for the new semester is to simply “get better grades,” a sentiment no doubt shared by many of his peers.
The Winter Carnival helped not only freshmen, but many upperclassmen and even graduate students. Beatriz Cruz, a senior and Environmental Biology major from Hillside, NJ, described her experience. “I think that the event is going really well,” she commented. “I just got off of class, so it was nice to be able to come in and enjoy myself and get something to eat.”
Though she doesn’t set New Year’s resolutions anymore, Cruz still hopes to push herself to be more outgoing for the spring semester. And, of course, she’s focused on graduating in May.
Laurie Theo, a Communications master’s student, described her winter break as long but relaxing, filled with cleaning, rest, and anime. Returning to campus, she feels excited and ready to graduate.
“Honestly, the food [was] amazing,” she said. “The staff, love them. The lines [were] kind of long, but they were fast today. I was like, wow.” Her goals for the new year were simply to travel and go to the gym more often.
Student leaders led the tabling at the carnival, representing the organizations they work for. One of those leaders is Dahiana Sanchez, a sophomore and Forensic Psychology major from West New York, NJ and a Service Specialist for the Center for Leadership and Service.
For her and her organization, starting the semester with positive energy is essential. “I think it’s very important to start off the semester strong, so that we have a good positive mindset to keep pushing, because you know, it gets difficult sometimes,” she stressed.
With her fellow CAPS Service Specialists, Sanchez helped welcome students to the event. She described the student turnout as strong and the vibe as excited, especially socially. “I don’t know about starting classes,” she joked, “but everyone seems excited to be back here and seeing friends.”
If the Winter Carnival is any indication, the spring semester—and year of 2026—is already off to a vibrant and spirited start.
