As it’s said, “love is in the air, love is everywhere,” hosted by the Indian Student Association (ISA) at the McCormick Tribune Campus Center (MTCC) Ballroom on February 15, 2025. The night was jam-packed with a crowd, music, dance, games, and of course food. The colors and aesthetics were Instagram-worthy, with picture-perfect decor.
I got a bit late by half an hour and was quite baffled by the rush; I didn’t expect this much. It was a night not only for love but for friendships as well, witnessing all the friend groups playing and enjoying to the fullest. Let’s talk about the event activities in detail.
The evening started with a wristband concept which the organizers were tying at the entry itself. To describe it further, they differentiated the band colors; green was for the singles, and red ones were for the couples or committed ones. This small gesture was quite thoughtful for sparking new conversations and somewhat to initiate matchmaking.
Games and fun-engagement
The evening was full of interactive games, which let us bond with even the unknown. The audience got engaged in playing Jenga enthusiastically; there were activities like creating heart-shaped cardboard cutouts to decorate and paint as per our liking. To this, someone mentioned handing me a heart to re-surface and flourish my inner child: that sounded cute and considerate. People were found leaving sticky notes with love messages anonymously for their loved ones, or simply for the good. All in all, the activity planning was quite nice.
Music and dance
There were all our fellow mates singing beautiful mixes of Bollywood, Hollywood, and Tollywood songs. It was soulful, and heart-touching, and also few performances sparked the dancer inside me while vibing.
Following further came the electrifying dance performances. The energy the participants brought on the floor was commendable, and hats off to the choreography. I couldn’t resist my urge to climb on my chair for a better look overlooking the crowd; that was how captivating it was! The best thing was diversity, how beautifully they arranged an evening full of universality and cultural standards so that at the end everyone leaves with a smiling memory.
A sweet treat for the evening
Never expect a party or celebration without food; if anything is without food, it’s not a celebration for sure. We were presented with cupcakes that had vanilla and chocolate bases with strawberry and vanilla icing, respectively. For savories, there were Doritos, Lay’s chips, and different soda drinks for the evening.
A celebration beyond romance
Wrapping up the carnival event with a saying that ISA’s Carnival of Love was not only a Valentine’s celebration, it was a celebration of connection and friendship and to celebrate the beautiful relations and people we have in our life, whom sometimes in our regular day to day chaos we tend to forget nurturing. The goal for ISA was achieved, which was, as usual, to bring smiles to people’s faces and fill their hearts with unforgettable memories.