University of California Los Angeles - Bruin Life / Southern Campus Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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Fireworks lit the sky over Mardi Gras each night, opposite, as the field flooded with ex- citement. The Intermural Field, top, became the stage for Mardi Gras, but the transformation was not complete until the thousands of uisitors ar- rived. A young girl en- joys the catwalk, mid- dle, one of the many rides in Kiddieland. Alpha Chi Omega and Sigma Phi Epsilon made their booth into a sit- down theater, bottom, in which they performed a series of short musical acts. Photos by Todd Cheney, courtesy of Mardi Gras. s spring quarter approached, the ex- citement escalated. Groups formed, bands were hired, clowns were discovered, booth facades were painted and t-shirts designed. Soon the 1M field was closed off and construction began. Mardi Gras 1989 was underway... Long before the weekend of Mardi Gras (May 19th-21st), 160 committee members had begun planning. This event raised money for GniCamp, a summer camp for underpriviledged Los Angeles youths. GniCamp ' s theme, All Kids Deserve A Chance, was supported by the 4,000 stu- dent volunteers who devoted their time and energy to make Mardi Gras a success. Executive Director Chris Bess added, I see Mardi Gras as more than just providing money for GniCamp. It gives students from diverse backgrounds the chance to work together. Following the success of the previous year, Preview Might was held the eve before Mardi Gras weekend. On this night, the gates were open only to faculty, students, and staff. The next evening, the gates were open to all. More than 80,000 persons attended Mardi Gras throughout the weekend to enjoy the food, rides, games, fireworks, and fun. For the past 48 years, Mardi Gras has been successful in delighting people while also providing GniCamp with two-thirds of its annual operating budget. When Chris was asked why he worked on Mardi Gras, he simply stated, It ' s fun, a great experience, and 1 wanted to be in a position to have an impact for such a worthwhile cause. ' -Kathy Carlton Mardi Gras 27

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26 Mardi Gras

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he Bruins celebrated their position as Leader of the Pac at Homecom- ing 1988. Undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and alumni gathered together to achieve record par- ticipation in all of the week ' s events. This was the Homecoming Com- mittee ' s goal for the year. As Public Rela- tions Coordinator Mia Lathrop said, This year was unique. We wanted to make Homecom- ing an event that would unify the campus, and we car- ried this idea to its completion. The week ' s activi- ties featured s even brand new contests, including Bruin Jeopardy. This feel- ing of newness was intensified by the participation of four new groups: The Asian Greek Coun- cil; the Chinese Stu- dents Association, who captured the prize for the Best Marching Group ; Thai Smakom, who received the Best Decorated Car ' award; and Delta Lambda Phi, whose float won the Cub- by award for Best New Entry. The festivities culminated in the annual parade down the streets of Westwood Village. The parade ' s Grand Marshall was Dodger Pitcher Tim Leary. Of the 23 floats, the medieval theme of Delta Gamma And Theta Xi predominated. They won the ' ' Gold Shield Homecoming Sweepstakes award as well as several others. There was not a flaw in the parade, declared a jubilant Chris Anderson , Homecoming execu- tive director. This seemed to hold true for the entire Homecoming cele- bration. -Carrie Conn Members of Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Chi Omega, top, compete in the Balloon Bust dur- ing Bruin Battles, truing to earn points for their team toward winning the Sweepstakes Award for the best ouerall par- ticipation in Homecom- i n g a c t i u i t i e s . Homecoming Executive Director, Chris Ander- son, talks with Grand Marshall Timothy Leary, middle, an alumnus of UCLA and a back-up pit- cher for the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Joe Bruin, left, celebrates at the Homecoming Coronation in showing his UCLA spirit by wearing his of- ficial Homecomeing t- shirt. Photos by Anna Shen, Bruce Weimcr. and courtesy of the Stu- dent Alumni Association. 28 Homecoming