It’s not just about the beads
Utah State University’s Mardi Gras had its biggest turnout ever Saturday night. With between 4,500 and 5,000 people attending, Associated Students of USU Activities Vice President Tara Bradshaw said there was something for everyone.
Starting at 9 p.m. after the men’s basketball game, Mardi Gras went until 1 a.m. Sunday. Participants were greeted at the door with Mardi Gras beads. Greeters told those entering Mardi Gras that their first set of beads were free, and that in order to receive more beads, you had to earn them, nudity excluded.
Between $10,000 and $13,000 was spent on Mardi Gras by ASUSU. Bradshaw said a reason for it being so expensive was because of all the new things that they did this year. For example, the group Recycled Percussion.
“[Recycled Percussion] are pretty pricey, but they’re awesome,” Bradshaw said. “They’re like nothing that we’ve had at Utah State. They’re from back East and we’ve been trying to book them for three years and we finally got them. It’s a big victory and we’re really excited about it.”
Bradshaw said Recycled Percussion beats on recycled percussion items, such as sinks, big plastic street barrels and paint buckets. They were the big hit of the night, she said.
The activities committee has been doing Mardi Gras for five years. Previously called casino night, the night is now Mardi Gras style. They still kept the casino-type atmosphere with Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, and Texas Hold’em in the Sunburst Lounge.
Lindsay Mendenhall, a freshman majoring in exercise science, said her favorite was the gambling – especially Blackjack.
Downstairs was modeled after Bourbon Street with palm readers, tarot card readers and magicians. There was cotton candy, popcorn and soft drinks – all for free. Characature drawings were also a part of the evening.
Performing in the Skyroom was Chinuahawk and Granian. Chinuahawk sang the National Anthem at the basketball game Saturday and then sang afterward in the Skyroom with a guitar player. Granian sang and played his own guitar.
Another band featured was Final Warning, a local group. Bradshaw said they wanted to have something from USU there. Bradshaw said that they were the “white trash and butt-rock band.”
Erin Bagley, a junior majoring in nursing, said her favorite part of Mardi Gras was the “butt-rock band.” She said she’s attended Mardi Gras since her freshman year.
Bradshaw said the feeling in the Skyroom was one of a poetry and a beverage style.
There was paper on the tables and crayons provided for those sitting at the tables.
Belly dancers and drag queens were featured and the swing club also performed.
A DJ and dancing were in the Hub.
Boyl, a senior majoring in business administration, a volunteer for STAB, said, “My job is to make sure there’s no rowdiness, horseplay, or craziness while people are dancing.”
Boyl also said that the variety of activities is what made Mardi Gras good.
Bradshaw said the volunteers were awesome. They helped decorate and helped with the cleanup.
-sarahwest@cc.usu.edu
A USU student has her palm read Saturday night at Mardi Gras in the TSC. Along with palm readers, the festival featured bands, tattoo artists, drag queens, tarot card readers, magicians, characature drawings, a fake casino, and of course – beads. (Photo by Jennifer Wheatley)
Final Warning was one of the many bands that performed at the Mardi Gras celebration Saturday night in the TSC. (Photo by Jennifer Wheatley)