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Leah Williams
Pulse reporter

Upon first look, it seemed nothing was wrong at Saturday's Kappa Karnival. Sure, the weather was rainy and dreary, but children were playing on the inflatable rides. People were grilling, fraternizing and having a good time while others played sporting games in the grassy area beside the asphalt.

And later on that night, hundreds and hundreds of people piled into the SIU Arena to dance the night away with recording artist and DJ Biz Markie, who was fresh off a stint on Vh1's reality series "Celebrity Fit Club."

But not everything went as planned.

Darnell Sawyer, president of Kappa Alpha Psi, said he received a phone call during his Spanish class Friday informing him that plans for the bumper cars and bungee cords had fallen through.

"This is a company we have had for the last five years," Sawyer said. "We did everything we could but at the 11th hour, we were told that it couldn't go on."

The Kappa Karnival is the highlight of a weeklong celebration of the Kappa Alpha Psi brotherhood. Though this year's troubles add onto the turbulent history of the Karnival, members of the fraternity are still trying to reestablish the popularity of the event.

Sawyer said the fraternity had finished all of the required paperwork on Feb. 14. The amount budgeted for this event was $8,500, including $4,000 for Markie.

Paulette Curkin, coordinator for Student Development, said the problem lied with the ride vendor failing to provide the cash requirements for the University's mandatory insurance policy, which includes $1 million in liability and $3 million in case more than one person is injured.

She said Risk Management raised the question on March 24, two days before the barbecue was to take place. They contacted the vendor but it was too late. The vendor's insurance company was closed for Good Friday.

"It is very unfortunate. It just seems like everything conspired against this event," Curkin said. "If we had found out a day earlier, things might have been different." So, Murdale was called to provide the last minute replacements.

"We were able to salvage a few things," Curkin said. "These guys are an exceptional group and they really are trying to get the Karnival to what it once was."

Other glitches in the weekend's festivities included a last minute cancellation at Carboz Friday night, forcing the fraternity to move their festivities to Sports Blast.

The SIUC chapter began March 4, 1950 on campus, and later in the 1960s, Kappa Karnival grew to become one of the biggest and most national events in Carbondale, drawing 20,000 people from all over the country.

"It was absolutely huge," said Curkin, who was a grad student at SIUC in the 1970s.

Kappa Alpha Psi alum Mike Williams, who graduated in 1982, said the Karnival was "just lovely back then."

"We had games all around the Arena," Williams said. "It was a real festival."

In the 1980s, the event died off when the chapter was suspended from the University. In 1988, the Kappas were back on campus, and the Karnival was revived later in the 1990s to coincide with the fraternity's annual Player's Ball.

Past acts at Kappa Karnivals include DJ Kid Capri, a Chicago-based dance group, the Jesse White Tumblers and singer R-Veil of R. Kelly's record label.

Williams said the annual "good, clean fun" event was not only filled with rich historical content but a chance for SIUC alumni to reconnect with their pasts.

"We have a long, rich tradition," he said. "We had people coming from all over the country. Florida. Texas. California. Everywhere."

This year's Kappa Karnival was moved from its original location at the Sam Rinella Fields to the lot beside the SIU Arena. Arthur McKnight, chapter treasurer for Kappa Alpha Psi, said the event had been in the planning stages since October. Though he said he understands that there were problems with crowd control in past events, he said he believes the real issue is more than a missed insurance policy deadline.

"It looks really bad on us," he said. "If you don't give people something to do, then they will riot."