Washburn University’s first ever Registration Carnival is taking place today, Nov. 12 in Washburn A/B, located on the main level of the Memorial Union.

The event is hosted by First Year Experience and Mabee Library and has plenty for students to enjoy. There are carnival style games, food and prizes.

Anna Buddish, senior English literature major, said the carnival has definitely came at the right time.

“The carnival is a good way for students to realize that it’s registration time again,” said Buddish.

Rayshawn Kocato, junior sports management major, also agrees that events like these are good for Washburn’s campus.

“I haven’t registered yet, but I have spoken with my advisor,” said Kocato. “It’s something to do, so I will go.”

Alan Bearman, Dean of University Libraries and the Center for Student Success and Retention, is one of the administrators responsible for putting on the event.

While the carnival will have plenty of goodies for students, the main goal for the carnival has a much deeper significance geared toward the future of Washburn’s campus. That underlying goal is to keeping up retention numbers for the university according to Bearman.

“Well, part of what we are trying to do is get students to register on time, because in the current budget climate, if students aren’t registered on time that puts a lot of pressure on the department to decide whether or not to keep a class on the books,” said Bearman.

“We also are going to try to get students to register for more classes, 15 hours a semester, 30 hours a year. You will hear a lot of this phrase on thursday, and in the weeks to come, ‘Think 30’ because we want student to graduate on time. On time graduation gets you into the workforce, into your career earlier, reduces the amount of debt you have to take to get into your career so that’s one of the goals.” Bearman said. “We know that students who advance register retain and succeed at higher rates, because they get to choose a better schedule. You know if you advance register, or register on time, more often than not, you get to choose when you take your math class, art class, or your science class. If you wait until the last minute to register, you are at the mercy at whatever’s left, and we know that students who take what’s left don’t do as well.”

By the end of the carnival, it is the hopes of those hosting the event that students understand the connection between advanced registration and student success.

“I want them to realize that advanced registration is important, because it has a direct connection to student success,” Bearman said. “By student success we ultimately mean, graduating on time, and setting off to do great things with your life. We want students to know there is a connection, an important connection.”