College students are becoming more and more stressed as the 2015-2016 academic year approaches its end, but dorms on campus are working together to help relieve some of this pressure through a new festival.

The Red Towel Carnival is going into its first year with the hope of giving students an opportunity to de-stress and enjoy spring, according to Kirsten Lindner, Elizabethtown freshman and Keen Hall’s representative in the Red Towel Carnival Committee.

Lindner said the carnival will include games, a potential paint war, karaoke, inflatables, face painting, food and live music performed by WKU students.

“Through this program, we hope to help build a sense of community in our area and throughout campus while giving back to students with an opportunity to destress from school and enjoy the spring weather,” Lindner said.

This program is put on by the Red Towel portion of campus dorms, including Keen, Poland Hall and Pearce-Ford Tower, and is funded by the Residence Hall Association. Members of each dorm’s hall council came together to plan this event through the Red Towel committee.

“The main focus of involvement is the three councils from the area buildings,” Linder said. “We are also having resident assistants, hall directors and potential fraternities and sororities to work alongside us in putting on the event.”

Students on campus can get involved in the festival by volunteering or partaking in its activities.

“We would love for students to volunteer in working the event, but more importantly, we want students to be able to enjoy the carnival,” Linder said. “We look forward to building community in our area and giving students the opportunity to relieve stress, enjoy entertainment in the nice weather, receive prizes and have some fun.”

The event will feature live music as well as games and food. The search for bands to perform has ended, but Henderson freshman Kaylan Boyd, programming vice president for the Resident Hall Association, said the association will consider new offers.

“I believe our search for more bands is over, but we will continue to consider anyone who may have an interest until a week and a half before the event,” Boyd said. “These bands will perform in 45-minute intervals to get the crowd riled up for the awesome event.”

The goal of the festival is to help students de-stress and build a sense of community on campus, specifically in the Red Towel area.

“We would love for this event to bring the opportunity for students to de-stress from school, enjoy the beautiful weather, build community and socialize,” Lindner said.

Festival planners hope to continue this event in the future and want to make it into a tradition.

“This being the first year, we’re planning this being something we can do each year, like Valleypalooza,” Boyd said. “We want to bring a stress-free environment to the bottom of the Hill.”