Fat Tuesday to be celebrated in the OSU Student Union

Student Union offers food, music and fun as part of Mardi Gras festivities

A little piece of New Orleans will make its way to Stillwater and the OSU campus on March 4 as the Student Union, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the OSU Music Department and University Dining Services partner for a unique celebration.

In its third year, the Mardi Gras celebration will feature music, a Second Line parade and specialty menu items from University Dining Services. The event is the creation of Christine Crenshaw, Undergraduate Admissions director, who joined the OSU family in September 2009. Crenshaw developed a love for New Orleans culture after her daughter moved to New Orleans.  That passion was further developed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Her love for the “birthplace of jazz” continued even after making the move to Stillwater, Okla.

“As I became more familiar with OSU I happily recognized that celebrations are encouraged, that cultural appreciation is encouraged, that community building is encouraged,” Crenshaw said. “So, in 2010 we had our own Mardi Gras celebration in the Enrollment Management unit and decorated our offices, wore beads (plucked from the trees and streets of New Orleans by friends of mine in NOLA), danced and shared a New Orleans inspired potluck. The next year the idea emerged to take the parade to the larger university.”

This year’s festivities on Tuesday begin at 11 a.m. with the Seretean Center Brass Band in the Student Union Atrium. The Second Line parade will begin at 11:20 a.m. in the Undergraduate Admissions office and continue to weave through the first and second floors.  Following the parade, guests are encouraged to sample some of the authentic items on the menus in the Student Union Food Court, including a full Cajun crawfish daily special at Red Earth Kitchen, a muffaletta sandwich at Bread & Beyond Deli and King Cake and pecan pralines available at a variety of locations.  Student Union Activities Board will also be on the lower Student Union Plaza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. offering special Mardi Gras treats.

For more than 63 years, thousands of students, alumni, faculty and staff members have visited the Student Union every day, making it a central part of university life.  The building hosts a countless number of diverse programs and services as well as offers a wide selection of eateries and retail outlets. For more information about the Student Union and the Mardi Gras celebration, visit its website at union.okstate.edu. The Student Union can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube with the user name osuunion.