Mariachi music, brightly colored tables and balloons filled the space of the Plaza del Sol, kicking off this year’s Carnaval organized by the USU.
The event was held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and showcased cultures across the seven continents: North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and Antarctica.
“The USU decided to host Carnaval as a way to celebrate everyone’s different cultures and kind of bring everybody together to be able to celebrate,” Student Administrative Services Assistant Frida Casas said. “As a result, we have different performances and different foods from a bunch of different countries as a way to try and bring everyone together.”
Casas said that Carnaval is a way for students to also engage with the USU members.
“I think it impacts the student community by encouraging people to just kind of come out,” Casas said. “For example, a lot of us who are working the event will try and encourage people to open up and talk to them and let them know about the different resources we offer.”
One of the activities at the event had people place a pin on a world map to indicate where they or their families are from.
Apart from mariachis, Carnaval also featured other performances, including a dance showcase by the Filipino American Student Association, a reptile showcase, samba dancers and Chinese lion dancers.
Attendees could enjoy food with rotating menu options every hour, such as tamales, the Filipino snack turon and empanadas.
For business marketing major Alexis Huang, her favorite food was the turon, which are deep-fried bananas in spring roll wrappers. One of her favorite experiences at the event was being able to try foods from other cultures. Huang added that she decided to go to Carnaval to learn more about different cultures.
“I thought it was really great being able to see other cultures, their dances and their traditional clothing – and also the food as well,” Huang said. “I definitely am interested in learning about people’s culture, and I think it’s so fascinating.”
Attendees became particularly engaged during the reptile showcase, which featured animals such as a bearded dragon, an African Sulcata tortoise and an albino Burmese python, which are yellow instead of the typical brown and green. Reptile handler Matt Rodarte, in addition to displaying the animals, also explained facts about each of their biology and behaviors, jokingly saying that he knows better than to let the Burmese python get around his neck.
The penultimate performance were Samba dancers which dazzled across Plaza del Sol in their individual green, red and yellow costumes. The dancers then brought out audience members to dance with them. Deaf studies major Kayla Gorman, who was one of the attendees who danced with the Samba dancers, said that was her favorite part of the event.
“I was a little nervous and shy at first,” Gorman said. “Doing the conga line gave me more confidence. Seeing everyone going into the line too, wanting to join, that was really sweet. I love that community connection feel.”
For additional USU events, visit their events webpage.
