On Thursday, September 10, the Student Activities Association (SAA) organized the annual Quadival, an eight-year-old Milton tradition that marks the beginning of the school year. Quadival featured games, food for students to enjoy on the Quad, and the return of carnival rides after a year-long absence. SAA Board Member Kleshie Manyo-Plange ’28 observed “high all-around attendance” from both upperclassmen and underclassmen.
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., SAA transformed the Quad into a carnival with long lines at every station. This year, Quadival featured its signature spinning rides, a water blaster game, basketball shootout, and a food station with popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy. An alpine slide and rock-climbing wall replaced the inflatables from the previous Quadival, giving students new attractions to explore. Director of Student Activities Kelly Reiser appreciated seeing “the kids being kids” and “the weather being perfect.”
Quadival’s long history has not been without interruptions. Last year, due to the carnival company’s labor shortages, the event took the form of the “Quadchella,” a music festival inspired by Coachella with no rides. Reiser explained that this year, SAA “pushed Quadival to Thursday” instead of the event’s usual Friday date. For that reason, the company could support Quadival. SAA Co-head Anthony Wu ’27 viewed the return of Quadival as an improvement. “Quadchella had a focus on musical performance, which to me builds a less intimate connection than riding on a rotating cup with someone. We’re happy to bring back Quadival this year,” he said.
The switch to Quadival required logistical planning since January. “It took a bit of time to figure out what night we were going to have it and when the carnival company was available,” said Reiser.
For many Class IV and new students, Quadival is their first school-wide event and an opportunity to interact across grade levels. The event provided Stephanie Xu ’30 with the opportunity to “connect with new friends a lot, especially ones who weren’t in [her] transition group.” Amber Xie ’30 echoed this sentiment, mentioning that the event helped her socialize, as she even “got to know some sophomores.” Both Xu and Xie agreed that the event was popular among freshmen.
Many returning students voiced their excitement on the event’s return. Deborah Ojugbana ’27 expressed her gratitude “to have [Quadival] back,” having experienced it as a sophomore. Ojugbana also preferred the more interactive Quadival over the music-heavy Quadchella, noting “people stayed longer this year.” On the other hand, Lorenzo Peabody ’28 felt that “more people could have been there” and that “Thursday night was a weird time.” Nonetheless, Peabody said he “enjoyed the popcorn and Italian snow-cones the most.”
As part of the SAA board, Camila Gomez ’29 reflected on the event: “It was a very good opening-of-school moment—many people enjoyed the rides.” Wu noted that the “high upperclassmen turnout” was “surprising compared to previous years,” an improvement he attributed to the format change. Reiser is pleased with the event's success: “It just sets such a good tone and vibe for the entire student body if you see your seniors there and engaging.” Looking ahead, the SAA hopes to build upon Quadival’s momentum for the rest of the school year’s activities.