Quinnipiac University’s African and Caribbean Student Union kicked off their 2026 Carnival Week Monday evening with bingo in the Piazza of the Carl Hansen Student Center on the Mount Carmel Campus.
“Carnival week is like a tradition in the Caribbean,” ACSU Treasurer and sophomore finance major Mikiyas Wolde said. “They have a week of celebrations and everything like that. So we kind of wanted to mimic that here.”
According to National Geographic, historians estimate carnival celebrations originated in the 18th century in the dual-island Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago. Enslaved people created their own version of cultural celebration as a form of protest against plantation owners, who banned them from extravagant events.
Carnivals are not bound to one island or one celebration. There are carnivals in other nations unrelated to the Caribbean, bringing the festivities across the globe.
“(The turnout) was way bigger than I expected,” ACSU’s Multicultural Student Leadership Council representative and junior diagnostic medical sonography major Madison Sainvil said. “I expected people that knew people in the organization to come, but there was a lot of other people that came too, so I was pleasantly surprised.”
ACSU held several rounds with several prizes ranging from a coloring book to a bead bracelet-making kit to mini LEGO flowers. The organization also catered dinner from Wingstop to enjoy between rounds.
“I think (the event is) a really great opportunity for everyone to just get to know each other and build relationships, inside and outside (of) classrooms,” first-year occupational therapy major Summer Wright said.
Ultimately, ACSU aims to introduce cultures that students may not often come across in their day-to-day. Quinnipiac is a predominantly white institution, with 73% of students falling into that category.
Carnival week allows ACSU to share its heritage through several inclusive events.
“It’s fun for them to feel familiar, and it feels like home,” Sainvil said. “It feels like they can be comfortable around everyone.”
Bingo is just one of this week’s five events to celebrate African and Caribbean heritage. See the list of activities below:
| Event | Dance class | Flag fest | Cooking class | Dance hall night |
| Date | Tues., April 7 | Wed., April 8 | Thurs., April 9 | Fri., April 10 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. | 9:15 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| Location | The Piazza of the Carl Hansen Student Center on Mount Carmel Campus | Dining hall in Carl Hansen Student Center on Mount Carmel Campus | Demo Kitchen in Recreation and Wellness Center on Mount Carmel Campus | The Piazza of the Carl Hansen Student Center on Mount Carmel Campus |
For more information on the ACSU and upcoming events, visit their Instagram @qu_acsu.