University of Idaho - Gem of the Mountains Yearbook (Moscow, ID)

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A Stone’s Throw For the first time in Mardi Gras’s nine year history, Washington State Universi- ty floats appeared in the parade. Idaho's neighbors arrived in prehistoric fashion as the Flinstones. (H ayes) 26 Mardi Gras Paper Mall Using Palouse Empire Mall as a back- drop, design students promoted Mardi Gras. According to Charlotte Buchanan, the paper statues and streamers did their job. (Fritz) Parade Entrant Awards Best Musical: A Century Smiles, Moscow’s LOOth Crowd Pleasers: College of Law Brief case Brigade Best Float: Dragonslayer Most Original: The Bug That Ate Moscow, Portable Por- ceclain Prettiest: Spanish Galleon

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In its ninth year, the Moscow Mardi Gras generated interest similar to its sister celebration down South. For the media, everything from the parade to the Beaux Arts Ball was all there in... Black and White Standing Room Only More than 1500 people attended the Beaux Arts Ball, filling the second floor of the SUB to capacity and causing fire inspectors concern. The afternoon of the dance, officials ordered David Giese to take down most of the student-produced decorations. (Fritz) Juggling Priorities Lead by President Mike Sherman, ten members of the Juggling Club tossed their way down Main Street during the Mardi Gras parade. (Morgan) Mardi Gras 25

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Black and White Continued Charlotte Buchanan, Mardi Gras co-coordinator, said the event continues to grow each year. This was the best Mardi Gras we have produced yet, and it will definitely add to the credibility of our press releases.”’ The Mardi Gras parade was more than a university event. It encompassed the entire Moscow community. “‘We had teenagers there through people in their 60s, so I’d say we had a really good represen- tation of the community,’’ Bucha- nan said. “‘It was a riot,’’ said Ken Bux- ton, Latah County sheriff. ‘‘I’d estimate the crowd at 8,000.”’ The crowd represented half the population of Moscow, the WLLS-New Orleans reporter said during an on-camera interview. Despite dire predictions by fore- casters that rain or snow would greet parade participants on Satur- day morning, the sun shined on 23 hand-carried floats and a number of other entries. Entries included everything from the UI Juggling Club to the Law School Briefcase Brigade. Some paraders showed up at the very last minute. “ ‘We won’t keep anyone from participating,’’ said Esther Louie, co-coordinator of the festivities. While the parade crowd brought few problems to authorities, another Mardi Gras entity did. The culprit? Black and white paper. “It was hard going through it,’’ said Catherine Rouyer, vice presi- dent of the Mardi Gras Board. “‘At 4 p.m. the day before the ball, we were told just about all the decorations, which cost a total of $12,000, had to come down. It was a gut-wrenching experience for David and me.”’ Students said they were disap- pointed about the decision, but re- joiced when given a chance to deck the malls’’ with black and white. They filled the Palouse Em- pire Mall with various life-size paper statues and a fountain, in commemoration of the upcoming ball. Giese called the project ‘‘a teas- er of what the Beaux Arts Ball is all about. ‘ We think this is an excellent vehicle to grab people’s atten- tion,’’ he said. According to Buchanan, the pre-ball hype worked to attract a large turnout. ‘There were over 2,000 people at the ball this year, considerably more than 1,300 last year,’’ she said. Fresh off a three-week hiatus, the Crazy 8’s from Portland found it ‘‘in the cards’’ to make their se- cond appearance at the event. Their return, according to Andy Hairston, helped draw a larger ball audience. T heard that the Crazy 8’s were really good last year and I decid- ed this year I’d go and see for my- self, as did several other people I know,”’ he said. Dancing wasn't the only draw at the ball. New activities helped spread the spirit of Mardi Gras throughout the entire second floor of the SUB. The Associated Miners, in con- junction with the Washington- Idaho Symphony, convinced par- ticipants to ‘‘dig deep’’ and gam- ble for high stakes with sym-phoney”’ money in a casino set up in the SUB Appaloosa Room. Next door in the Silver and Gold Room, a live cabaret show com- pleted the image of a traditions) Mardi Gras on the? ussissippi Del- ta. The show featured the dixie- land band Snake River Six and was staged by students in the Theater Arts department. To avoid problems inherent to a party atmosphere, buses shuttled bar-hoppers from one watering hole to the next. Five establish- ments joined in the shuttle program. On Sunday morning, the more unfortunate participants tried to locate themselves and figure out why they weren’t in their own clothes. Giese, however, could be found outside the SUB, picking up crepe paper discarded during the evening’s revelry. Said Giese, ‘‘Part of the art of the whole thing is the temporal na- ture of it. The work is more pre- cious, for the time that it’s here.’’ Several activities were added to the M ardi Gras celebration, ac- cording to organizers, to increase participation in the whole event. During the Mardi Gras parade, a mask exhibit and sale was held at the Biscuitroot Restaurant. (Morgan) Doing their best lip-sync to “Surfin? USA,” the Beaches came in second at a Show sponsored by the Moscow Downtown As- sociation, KZFN, and Theatre Operator's Inc. (Jones) The Beaux beth ip Dati weal Soper b um wi ai SUB, partly through the introduction of a casino sponsored by the sr oihiget Associated Miners club and the Washington Idaho Sym- phony, (Fritz) Mardi Gras 2]