Snacks and festive balloons grabbed the attention of passersby Wednesday as Campus Events + Entertainment hosted a birthday-themed bash to ring in the spring semester.

E+E, the University’s largest event planning organization, held the promotional and celebratory event in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center. Students gathered from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to play a UT trivia Kahoot game, eat free cupcakes and learn about the organization’s upcoming events.

“This isn’t (our) actual day of birth, but more just the theme to celebrate the organization, showcase it and put the name out there,” said Zayda Lopez, vice president of publicity for E+E. “But (it is) also for a fun theme because who doesn’t love birthday cake?”

E+E prides itself on providing inclusive and diverse events for UT students, such as the annual Madrigal Dinner or Black History Month programming.

“If you’re proud about your culture, we have (a) Lunar New Year where you can celebrate with other Asian and non-Asian students,” Lopez said.

Outside of cultural events, Lopez said the organization’s mission includes offering opportunities for students to decompress and socialize outside of class.

“(E+E) has a great social impact because, post-class, you don’t necessarily want to go back and do work,” Lopez said. “Sometimes you just want to relax and get your mind off of things, and E+E is great for that because we provide events that allow you to socialize with other students from (different backgrounds).”

Biology sophomore Romtin Farsi said he appreciates the organization because its events allow students to see their friends when they would otherwise be busy.

“I think these (events) definitely give a morale boost, and you’ll run into people you weren’t expecting to be there, so you get to catch up with your friends,” Farsi said.

For Christian Denolan, a second-year psychology transfer student who won a game of Kahoot, events like the birthday bash can be welcoming for students new to UT’s culture and community.

“Through that Kahoot, I learned more about UT’s history because I didn’t know much coming in,” Denolan said. “It makes UT — because it’s a big school­ — feel more communal.”

With nine committees and the CoSponsorship Board run by student leadership, E+E is all about students giving back to students, Lopez said.

“We’re just here to give back to the student community, providing events that they would enjoy for entertainment, educational and social purposes,” Lopez said.