February 7, 2008
7
Mardi Gras coincides with Super Tuesday Engineering banquet to be held
by AP Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) Fat Tuesday and Super Tuesday collided on the streets of the French Quarter, where revelers added a distinctly political flavor to the city's annual raucous bash. Among the men dressed in pink baby-doll pajamas or leather loincloths and the women flashing glimpses of flesh for beads were some whose costumes had political themes. Louisiana voters don't head to the polls until Saturday, so many let their costumes make political statements on a day when 24 other states were holding presidential primaries and caucuses. Kim Disselliss, 49, simply taped a sign to her back showing Sen. Clinton dressed as George Washington and reading, "Monica Lewinsky's X-Boyfriend's Wife for President. 2 for 1 Sale." Mardi Gras — also known as Fat Tuesday — is the end to the pre-Lenten Carnival season. The celebration characterized by family friendly parades uptown and in the suburbs — and by heavy drinking and lots of nearnudity in the French Quarter — ends 12 days of parades and parties. Temperatures were expected to rise to about the record of 81 degrees in New Orleans, an indicator that flesh-flashing in the bawdy French Quarter was likely to be greater than usual. Crowds that had begun staking out spots on the parade routes as early as Friday night spent the day collecting beads and other trinkets thrown from floats. The celebration appears to have bounced back strongly since Katrina flooded more than 80 percent of the city. Mardi Gras crowd estimates hovered around 1 million in the years before Katrina, and the crowd reached about 800,000 last year. This year, however, some worried turn-
The students are getting ready to graduate and have shown some interest in engiNational Engineering neering, 'Richards said. Week is from Feb. 17 to 23, "We'll keep them here all and the Oklahoma Society day and answer their quesof Professional Engineers, tions about when you finalong with other area orga- ish school, what it'll take to nizations, is hosting the get through the education and Joint Engineering Society to get the license, as well Banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. as what types of projects are 21 at Oklahoma Christian done," Richards said. University. "We then invite and sponDr. Thomas L. Landers, sor these students to attend professional engineer and the banquet in the evening," Dean of the University Sheri Penner of OSPE said. of Oklahoma College of The banquet is primarEngineering will speak at the ily for junior and senior high banquet, according to Bryan school students, but is open Richards, civil site design for the public, according to division manager at Cobb Richards. Engineering in Oklahoma "We will recognize some City. of the winners at the banRichards said a primary quet, but this is mainly for goal of the week and the ban- the high school students that quet is to promote engineer- will come in conjunction with ing. the 'Engineer for a Day' pro"I can remember when I gram," Richards said. was in school at OU that durThe Engineering Fair will ing this week there would be be held on Tuesday, Feb.' competitions at state universi- 19 at the Science Museum ties, just to promote engineer- Oklahoma, formerly the ing awareness," he said. Omniplex. Now the OSPE is sponsorThe fair will include a ing this banquet for that same bridge building contest, an purpose, Richards said. Eiffel Tower contest and a AP Photo Landers will address the ping pong ball launcher conimplications for Oklahoma King Zulu, Frank Boutte, waves from his float during the Krewe of Zulu Mardi Gras and what is being done local- test among other competitions, according to the Oklahoma parade in New Orleans, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. ly to assure the necessary pool Engineering Foundation Web of talented and well-educated site. engineers, Richards said. The fair, as well as other out would be lighter because his Half-Fast Walking Club John E. Koerner III reigning The OSPE puts on an programs offered, such as the celebration fell so early. onto Uptown streets in what as Rex, King of Carnival and Engineering Fair during the MathCounts and the Future Kevin Kelly, who lives has become the city's unoffi- Monarch of Merriment. week, where various competi- City Competition, is aimed at on the parade route, said the cial opening of Mardi Gras. In Cajun country, costumed tions are held for junior high getting kids interested at an crowds did seem quieter. It "Oh, I'm feeling fine. You riders on horseback set out on students. early age in the engineering was too early for college stu- always feel fine on Mardi their annual Courir du Mardi On the day of the banquet field, so when they get to high dents on spring break to join Gras," said Fountain, 77. He's Gras, a town-to-town cele- there is also an "Engineer for the party, Kelly pointed out. had health problems since bration. Hundreds of people a Day" program where 65 school they have a developed "Ands frankly, it's 'a,rgood Hurricane Katrina, , but still registered for the Courir de students, who are sponsored interest in the field. Tickets can be purchased thing ;1,'1 said. "The city plays twos ;daysia , week at a Mardi Gras in Eunice, a bayou by companies such as OG&E for $15 for the banquet by smells better without a bunch Gulf Coast casino. conrununity 150 miles west of and Tinker Air Force Base, contacting the O.S.P.E. at of drunken kids using every While the walking club New Orleans. Hundreds were will have the chance to see doorway as a toilet." was on its way, floats of the on horseback and scores of first hand what the engineer- 528-1435 or on their Web site at www.ospe.org . Tickets Clarinetist Pete Fountain, Zulu parade headed for their others rode along in pickup ing profession is all about. must be purchased by Feb. dressed in a tunic as one of starting point. Zulu, the black trucks or on flatbed trailers. "We [Cobb Engineering] 18. King Arthur's knights, looked community's oldest parade, "It's just heritage. It's are sponsoring five students, frail but happy Tuesday morn- was followed by the Rex Louisiana. We're crazy," 'and they will spend the day ing as he led 100 members of parade, with businessman said Courir participant Cody here while we show them dif- Nelson Solomon can be Granger, 24, wearing what ferent aspects of what we do reached at nsolomon@thevistaonline.com. looked like surgical scrubs here," Richards said. decorated with the New Orleans Saints' logo. Sporadic violence has marred the celebration in 911. Ledger had been dead New Orleans. At least nine for some time, and police say people had been wounded no foul play occurred. Police by gunshots, six of them on said they found a rolled-up Saturday. Shots were fired from page 4 $20 bill near the bed. Tuesday near a parade route, Ledger, nominated for but no one was injured and a ;to the actor's hometown of an Oscar for his role in suspect was quickly arrested, Perth, Australia, on Tuesday "Brokeback Mountain," police said. Police said 1,100 officers, to prepare for his funeral. had returned to New York from London, where he had state troopers and National Arrangements were private. Guardsmen have been posi- 't In a statement released been filming a $30 million tioned along parade routes through Ledger's publicist, Terry Gilliam film, "The the actor's father, Kim, said Imaginarium of Doctor since the season began. Still, most partygoers Wednesday: "While no medi- Parnassus," days before his were undeterred. The smell cations were taken in excess, death. He said in a November of charcoal and sizzling meat we learned today the com- interview that his roles in the accompanied the sounds of bination of doctor-prescribed Batman movie "The Dark people urging float riders to drugs proved lethal for our Knight" and the Bob Dylan "throw me something," and boy. Heath's accidental death biopic "I'm Not There" had band music played as cooks serves as a caution to the taken a toll. "Last week I probably prepared everything from hidden dangers of combining burgers to crawfish along the prescription medication, even slept an average of two hours at low dosage." a night," Ledger told The parade route. Heath Ledger was discov- New York Times. "I couldn't "We had beer for breakfast, but we're making it a ered by his masseuse Jan. stop thinking. My body was side dish now," David James 22 after she arrived for an exhausted, and my mind said. "You have to pace your- appointment that afternoon. was still going." He said he self when you get here at She entered his bedroom to had taken two Ambien pills, AP Photo set up for the massage and which only gave him an hour dawn." found him unresponsive, and of sleep. Spectators watch the Bourbon Street Awards contest from a balcony on Mardi proceeded to call Mary-Kate Gras in the French Quarter of New Orleans Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008. Carnival revelers Olsen three times over the were greeted with warm weather for Fat Tuesday. next 9 minutes before dialing by Nelson Solomon Staff Writer
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