By Autumn Parr
Purple and yellow filled the air as students gathered for Union Board’s Mardi Gras Mambo celebration that highlighted campus life, community and Louisiana culture earlier this week.
The event featured a parade filled with campus organizations, mask decorating, live music from the Big Dog Brass Band, food, a chicken race and caricatures. For many students, however, the free T-shirts were one of the biggest draws.
Gianna Cordell, a Union Board member, emphasized the preparation behind the celebration.
“Everyone puts in so much effort, we have certain workdays that we do to work on the event,” Cordell said. She described Mardi Gras Mambo as “a really good way to bring campus together.”
While free T-shirts with a long line forming early in the event were a highlight, most students view this as an integral part of the experience.
“Part of me thinks it is overhyped but the other part recognizes that the T-shirts are really pretty,” sophomore Lily Boyd said. “It does kinda suck that you have to wait in line for so long though, however if you go with a group of friends it’s not as bad.”
Although freshman Lin Reily, who was first in line, saw it as a satisfying win.
“I feel good because I’m always last in line,” Reily said.
Beyond the shirts, some students embraced the celebration by dressing in full Mardi Gras fashion. Many students dressed in purple and yellow, but one student took it a step further: freshman Garrett Jones stood tall above the crowd, covered head to toe in purple and gold, wearing a jester’s mask and stilts.
“I love Mardi Gras. This is my freshman year at Tech, but in general, Mardi Gras is one of my favorite holidays,” Jones said. “I made a jester’s mask with my family and I just went stilt walking.”
His stilt-walking skills come from family tradition. “My grandpa stilt walked and when I was a kid he made me some stilts and then I just got better ones over time,” Jones said.
As for the event itself, Jones had nothing but praise. “I love the Union Board,” Jones said. “I mean they give out free shirts, which is awesome.”
Union Board also crowned Mardi Gras King and Queen during the festivities, naming Patrick Scott and Landry Synco as this year’s winners.
For many community members and students, Mardi Gras Mambo is an event they look forward to each year, with Boyd adding, “Go Mardi Gras and go Dogs.”
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