Mardi Gras dressed to impress, entertain and unite

February 20, 2017

3 min read

Photo Credit: Sarah Sanchez

UVUSA hosted an all-night Mardi Gras event on Friday, Feb 10. The student body and community members over 18 partied harder than they have since the Insomnia event in October of last year.

“It was a party from the moment you walk in the door. It was overwhelming at first because you didn’t know what to do first.” said Kiara Armstrong, a participant from Orem. “UVU has really gone all out for this event.”

The all-night event created an excellent environment by featuring a variety of activities that appealed to many different personality types. The events included a hypnotist, a magician, a dance floor, mocktails, airbrush tattoo station, henna art, casino boards, face paint and a photo booth, according to Anthony Collins, a UVU ambassador and junior biochemistry major. Esteban Lopez, airbrush tattoo artist for Party Times, expressed his love for UVU and working its events, but he admitted that it is also a “crazy experience”.

Rachel Falls, a sophomore elementary education major, raved about the hypnotist show. “It was hilarious and fascinating. The hypnotist was a real comedian,” said Falls. “He made the show fun to watch.”

UVUSA and dedicated students planned a party that was both fun and safe for all attendees.

“It was great working at the event. Everyone that was working was very dedicated to representing the university well and giving the students the best experience possible,” said Collins. “This aspect made the event run smoothly.”

According to history.com, Mardi Gras originated in Rome thousands of years ago. When the Christians invaded, they decided to incorporate the local traditions rather than abolish them. Mardi Gras became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The holiday eventually spread all over Europe and later made its way over to the United States in 1699 with French explorers. The iconic Mardi Graw customs – like throwing beads and other trinkets, wearing masks, decorating floats and eating King Cake – were added to celebration after 1850. Today, Louisiana is the only state that recognizes Mardi Gras as a holiday. Other states, like Utah, throw elaborate carnivals or parties.

UVUSA incorporated old Mardi Gras traditions into their celebration which made the event a fun atmosphere for students. It helped students at a commuter school like UVU connect with each other.

“I believe an event like Mardi Gras, set up by UVUSA gives students the opportunity to connect in a fun and inviting environment,” said Collins. “I know UVUSA sets up a range of different events to target the diverse students at UVU. Events like these help not only to promote students peer interaction but increase university involvement and inclusivity as well.”