The academic year is almost at its end, as Edison students were looking forward to the school carnival as a chance to have fun with friends and enjoy many outdoor obstacles, bouncy houses, and game trucks. However, excitement and chatter didn’t last long enough as temperatures quickly started rising to 92 degrees in the early afternoon and reached 95 degrees as the day progressed. This made it difficult for many students to participate and raised complaints on whether the event was properly even planned for such hot weather conditions.
Although the carnival was initially meant to create enjoyment for the end of the school year for all grades, the heat became one of the biggest parts of the experience for many students. Instead of spending their time on the attractions, students could be seen searching for shade in corners of the fields and taking breaks from the sun. The weather led many students to question whether more steps should have been taken before hosting an outdoor event on one of the hottest days of the spring.
Junior Briana Ramsing said she had been looking forward to the carnival for weeks.
“I was super excited because everyone had been talking about it the entire week and my friends and I had so many plans during and after the event,” Ramsing said. However, she said the heat quickly affected her experience. “The heat made it hard to enjoy everything, especially since the bouncy houses were scorching hot. I almost burned my hand. After a while I just wanted to find shade so me and my friends stayed in the corners of the yard,” Ramsing said.
More could have been done to help students stay comfortable. “There was water available, but I think there could have been more shaded areas. I think I was getting dizzy,” Ramsing said.
Sophomore Madiya Islam shared a similar experience. Before the carnival, she was most excited about spending time outside with friends and participating in the activities. “I was excited for the bouncy houses and obstacle courses and spending time with friends outside,” Islam said.
Once she arrived, though, the weather made it difficult to stay outside for long. “I couldn’t stay outside very long because it felt way too humid,” Islam said. “I stayed for a short amount of time.”
Islam said many students around her were reacting the same way. “A lot of people were complaining and looking for shade, and I saw so many people sitting out,” she said. “Even some of my friends refused to come with me when I asked if they wanted to do the obstacle course.”
Freshman Raisa Chowdhury had a slightly different experience. While she agreed that the weather was extremely hot, she still chose to participate in many of the carnival activities due to “fear of missing out.”
“It was super hot when I was out and the heat was gradually increasing,” Chowdhury said. “Either way I still took part in most of the obstacle courses and went to the game trucks. I didn’t want to miss out!”
Chowdhury’s experience shows that while the heat affected nearly everyone at the carnival, some students were determined to make the most of the event despite the conditions.
While students appreciated the opportunity to participate in the carnival, many felt that the extreme heat took away from what could have been an even more enjoyable event. These experiences show how much weather can really affect school activities, events, and also why planning beforehand for these conditions are very important. As Edison continues to host events in the future, students hope there will be more ways to feel comfortable and safe while still having fun.
