Cinco de Mayo and the Street Fair!

David R.

May 7, 2010 - 9:32 AM

On Wednesday night I went out with a few of my friends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo- the date of a historic battle about 100 miles away from Mexico City. I always thought that Cinco de Mayo was a celebration of Mexican independence, but I recently learned that this is not the case.

The campus bars were a prime location on this night. Taylor's, a bar that usually doesn't serve Corona, had a sudden change of heart due to the "holiday" and served Corona throughout the night. I call it a "holiday" because college students are always looking for an excuse to put down the books and relax. Cinco de Mayo really has nothing to do with America or its citizens, but that doesn't stop anyone from celebrating it.

The street fair is back in action again for this week. The fair is always located at the same place- right on 13th street in between the book store and Allen Hall, where the school of journalism is located. I have food that I have already paid for at my fraternity, but I can't stop myself from buying food when I walk through. The street fair only occurs a few times during the school year so I have to make sure that I take full advantage of it. I especially enjoy the oriental food. There is an Oriental Express cart that is always present and it serves the best teriyaki chicken and yakisoba I have ever had. I had never eaten Indian food at the street fair so the other day I decided to branch out. Before a class I went and grabbed a chicken wrap from a tent serving Indian food. It was stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with chicken, cabbage, vegetables and some unique sauce. It was just the satisfaction I needed before heading to a grueling academic session.

The street fair has great food, but there are many other tents that have non-food items for sale. These tents sell all kinds of unique goods from posters to intricate glass work. I have never been much of an artist so I have an appreciation for those who are good at it and have a passion for it.
The street fair serves as a source of communal bonding I feel. This rare event draws people in from all over the greater campus area. There is always a multitude of people hanging out on the quad between the library and the Lillis business complex. Yesterday while walking through the fair I witnessed a unique rap battle. Two men stood toe to toe and threw down their best lines while observers applauded. This was your average rap battle, except for the fact that the sound being produced for the rappers to rhyme to was produced by a recorder. The experienced player provided the rap-off with what seemed to be an advanced and intricate beat.

This term is passing by faster than any other term ever has. My college career is flying by and I plan to have as much fun as I can for the remainder of this short four-year-span.