Party Gras event features music, Cajun food
February 25, 2015
By Samantha Ponder
The winter weather pushed the Student Activities Board’s Party Gras celebration back a week, but the music still played Tuesday evening from the Student Center’s Worsham Theater.
SAB’s Director of Public Relations, Olivia Senter, said the extra week gave SAB more time to promote the event.
“It’s a very cool holiday that we thought students would enjoy celebrating,” Senter said.
She expressed concern about students getting confused and missing the event, but in just half an hour many student gathered to live music from The Yellow Dog Jazz Band of the Bluegrass.
The event also featured Mardi Gras crafts like mask-making, a photo booth and Cajun food.
“(It’s) not normally what I listen to, but the band is really good,” pre-nursing freshman Autumn Guffey said.
Students coming to Party Gras got in line to have their student ID swiped and then were given a set of Mardi Gras beads.
“It’s a very fun party atmosphere,” Senter said. “We really wanted to bring a different culture to campus.”
Senter added that the event was an age-appropriate way for students to celebrate the holiday.
Many students said they heard about Party Gras online via Twitter.
“(I) wanted to come out and meet new people (and) see what the event is about,” education sophomore Emily King said. “And we like Cajun food.”
King and her friend Stephanie Schaeffer, a political science sophomore, said they wanted to know what Mardi Gras is like in New Orleans.
“We can’t get to New Orleans so we wanted to come here,” King said.
