For one night only, Stamp Student Union will turn into a circus.
Stamp’s 33rd annual All Niter begins Friday at noon. The event is designed to “showcase the wonderful things about the Stamp, introduce new students to the building and welcome back students returning to campus,” said Ashley Venneman, the program coordinator for Stamp Special Events and Programs.
The All Niter doesn’t end until 3 a.m. Saturday, and more than 18,000 people are expected to go in and out of the event, Venneman said.
“It’s a good place to meet new people,” said junior criminal justice major Louisa Nanan. “It’s something fun and different.”
With the tagline “Come One, Come All,” the circus-themed event will include performances by aerial artists in the food court, sideshow acts in Hoff Theater, a Reptiles Alive! exhibit and chances to win prizes by playing carnival games. Students can also get caricatures, balloon animals and their faces painted. There will also be caricature artists, balloon animal makers and face painters under Stamp’s big tent.
College students love free things, and the All Niter has all kinds of freebies, including custom T-shirts and Build-A-Bear stuffed animals.
Students will have a chance to win prizes, including a Google Chromecast player, through a raffle. Raffle tickets can be earned by winning carnival games in the Grand Ballroom.
There will also be bingo in the Baltimore Room, with prizes awarded after each game. Bingo prizes will include university apparel, parking validation codes, massages from the University Health Center and a GoPro camera.
“I’m excited that the planning committee has done a great job of incorporating the circus theme into many of the events,” Venneman said. “It’s hard to pick just one [as my favorite]!”
Despite all of the giveaways, some students are not sold on the All Niter. Galen Warner, a junior business major, said she attended last year’s All Niter but is not sure if she will attend again this year.
“It was OK,” Warner said. “It would be better if they had more-known comedians and better artists performing.”
Many student organizations perform during the All Niter. The Black Student Union is hosting the Late Night Party, a dance party from midnight until 3 a.m. Tickets to the Late Night Party must be printed in advance and students have to show their university IDs for entry. Tickets are free to students and can be found at umdtickets.universitytickets.com. The Late Night Party is the only event that is exclusive to university students. Nonstudents can attend other events.
Members of the Echelon Fashion Society will put on a fashion show in the food court, and the Step Show and Performance Showcase highlights step, stroll, dance and other performances from student organizations. The showcase will be held in the Nyumburu Amphitheater.
A full schedule of events for the All Niter can be found here.
