By Samantha Lodato
Staff Reporter
Have you ever wanted to travel to New Orleans to take part in the Mardi Gras celebrations? The Sacred Heart community brought the spirit of the celebration right here to campus!
On Feb. 25, the Student Events Team (SET), Student Government and Campus Ministry hosted events on campus.
“Students are always very excited to celebrate the many different holidays that fall throughout the year,” said senior Andrea Matyszewski, Vice President of SET. “As Mardi Gras always falls on a school day every year, we as SET like to ensure to have an event going on for students to attend in between classes or meetings and be able to take part in the special day. We have been hosting an event on Mardi Gras for the past few years and have gotten great feedback from students who attend.”
The origins of the Mardi Gras celebration can be linked to the ancient Roman celebration of spring and fertility. Today, New Orleans is known to host large celebrations before the Lenten season begins, with music, parades, food and floats.
Beaded necklaces are worn in traditional colors. Purple represents justice, green represents power and gold represents faith.
“My responsibilities include helping to oversee the SET Executive Board, and to plan and organize fun and new events on campus for SHU students,” said Matyszewski. “This year, SET hosted an event on Feb. 25 in the University Commons Lobby, where students stopped by to grab our traditional spin on a King Cake or make a DIY Mardi Gras mask. The masks were a fun way for students to get creative and the cakes allowed for a delicious treat.”
“I love participating in the events that SET puts on. I enjoy participating in their programs with friends and think it provides a nice way to de-stress in between classes,” said senior Lauren Fasano.
Students 21 and older had the opportunity to take part in a Mardi Gras themed Senior Pub Night at Red’s.
“Senior Pub Night is an opportunity for members of the senior class to get together in Red’s Pub, have a few drinks, and dress in a fun and unique theme,” said senior class president Anthony Smith.
“In order to attend a Senior Pub Night, you must be eligible to participate in the Commencement Ceremony in May 2020, per the Registrar,” said Smith.
Within the Student Government, there is a large team planning these Senior Pub Night themes.
“As the Senior Pub Night Chair, I am a part of the Class of 2020 Board for Student Government. I attend weekly class meetings, where we are able to discuss and share theme ideas for upcoming events,” said senior Shannon Fleming. “The theme of Mardi Gras was very fitting for the week at hand. Some things we take into consideration when deciding are ‘has this been done before?’ — which it has not — and ‘would it be easy to dress for the theme?’ — we assumed most people owned the color green, gold or purple.”
“I love Senior Pub Night. It’s the perfect opportunity for seniors to unwind and bond together for our last few months before graduation. I look forward to it every month,” said senior Leela Gallucci.
The celebrations were well received by students all across campus.
“I love that Sacred Heart celebrates Mardi Gras. With it being right around midterms I think these celebrations lifted student’s spirits and provided a fun way to de-stress,” said junior Jackie Clifford.
