Green and purple flashing lights filled the AWC eatery during the Mardi Gras dance on the evening of February 20. Students crowded the dance floor with Mardi Gras-themed hats, glasses and festive jewelry. For those who were not the dancing type, games like Jenga and Connect 4 were available as well as a table full of various crepes to satisfy anyone’s appetite.
The atmosphere was lively, with upbeat club music blaring throughout the evening. Decorative frames and a festive background wall were available for students to capture photos with their friends to make this a night to remember
The event was hosted by AWC Student Government Association and coordinated by Fatima Covarrubias, president of the SGA, which is always looking for ways to bring students together to have fun on campus.
This event was perfect for students who live on campus since they are always looking for fun things to do close to home. For example, groups of athletes from the residence hall excitedly made their way to the eatery.
“We have a lot of students that actually don’t know what Mardi Gras is like, so it’s a really nice way to get it out there so they can experience it and celebrate along with the rest of us,” said Covarrubias, who believes word-of-mouth advertising is the most successful way to get more students to enjoy the dance.
By 11 p.m., the dance floor was flooded with carefree students, and there were still more to come as most students show up around midnight after they have had time to rest, according to Covarrubias.
Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” which is the night before Ash Wednesday. The tradition was originally established to celebrate the last night of eating rich and fatty foods prior to the fasting for lent, which starts the following day.
The purpose of throwing a Mardi Gras dance wasn’t so much to inform students about the traditional religious meaning, though, but rather to bring students together for a night of fun after a full week of studies.
Covarrubias wants people to remember that, although being a full-time student can be stressful, this is one of the many ways for those students to come together and celebrate their accomplishments here at AWC. She believes we all struggle together, so why not party together?
“I see Mardi Gras as celebrating life and all the struggles we might go through,” Covarrubias said. “Like you just get to release all of that and de-stress because there’s so many ways to actually enjoy life.”
Life is short, she says, and people need to enjoy the time they have in college since that’s a big chapter of their life.
AWC strives to be the leader in student involvement on campus and knows events like dances can appeal to a wide student demographic. Covarrubias hopes to host more events to achieve a sense of togetherness on campus – and promote SGA in the process.
