NC State celebrates Mardi Gras

Jazz music poured through the halls of Talley Student Union while students decorated themselves with masks and beads, ate king cake and raced on an inflatable obstacle course at University Activities Board’s Mardi Gras celebration.

The original New Orleans holiday and Catholic celebration is a last chance of freedom people use to indulge before Ash Wednesday and fasting for Easter. 

Jake Andrichuk, a third-year studying business management and international studies and spirit chair for UAB, said they did not want religion to be part of the event.

“When it comes to cultural stuff and religious stuff, we generally try to stay — or at least I try to stay — away from that,” Andrichuk said. “I would say, obviously, we’re a representation of the University, and so a big part of what we do is centered around making everybody feel comfortable and safe in the spaces that we provide.”

The inspiration for the event came from Andrichuk’s childhood memories of growing up in Portland and celebrating the event with his family. 

“Mardi Gras was always such a big part of my childhood, and I wanted to share that with the rest of the state and connect it back to the party and the enjoyment of the festival because that was always my favorite part of it,” Andrichuk said. “It’s about being with family and being with loved ones and being with friends and getting to go out and walk around seeing the gorgeous colors and the outfits.”

An important part of this celebration is the king cake: a circular ring cake that symbolizes the journey of the wise men from the Bible as they searched for baby Jesus. A small plastic baby is tucked within the cake, and whoever gets the baby in their slice is responsible for buying the cake next year. 

The cake at UAB’s event was not a traditional king cake, but a square sheet cake decorated with Mardi Gras colors. 

To adapt the cake tradition of the baby inside as well as tie in NC State, UAB placed a wolf on one of the plates of cake and gave a prize to whoever found it. 

A jazz band containing students and members of NC State’s Jazz Ensemble provided a soundtrack for the night. New Orleans is famous for its jazz music, and it is a big part of Mardi Gras celebrations. The song selection featured familiar classics such as “When The Saints Go Marching In,” which filled the room with the comforting sounds of the trumpet.

Christopher Bond, a third-year studying mechanical engineering, said they really enjoyed the live music. 

“I think the jazz band was sort of the soul of the event, really,” Bond said. “Without it, it wouldn’t have been as fun. It sort of gave a better atmosphere to the place.”

Students interested in other UAB events can locate them on the University calendar and on UAB’s Instagram.