Spring Break
Celebrando la victoria: Students keep Cinco de Mayo festivities under control
Kate Taylor
Issue date: 5/6/08 Section: News
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Cinco de Mayo is the celebration, not of Mexico's independence from Spain, but of the Mexican army's victory over France and traitor armies in Puebla, Mexico on the morning of May 5, 1862, according to the Viva! Cinco de Mayo Web site.
Mexican pride has run rampant during this first weekend in May, but the celebration is also shared by those not of Mexican heritage.
Kelsey Rahmgren, a senior graphic design major, said though she will not be joining the festivities, some of her friends who are not Mexican will be barbequing.
"(I'm doing) nothing on Cinco de Mayo because its on a Monday and I have school," said Rahmgren, 21, whose heritage is Northern European. "It's not a big deal, especially since it's on a Monday."
Rayna Langley, a sophomore psychology major of Spanish and Norwegian decent, said she went out with friends Saturday night to celebrate, but since the actual holiday is Monday, she probably won't do anything special.
"I'm going to have a normal day like any other Monday," said Alvin Nguyen, 24, a higher education and administration graduate student. "I'm going to go to school and go to work."
Nguyen said he is Vietnamese-American.
Andrea Puljiz, 22, a senior public relations major who is Croatian, said the holiday doesn't mean anything to her because she's not Mexican.
"Staying away from downtown, that's what I'm doing," she said. "(I'm) just relaxing and definitely staying away from the crowds."
Some other students who are of Mexican decent - like Jansie Tompkins, a sophomore nursing major - will be celebrating.
"I will probably have a semi-regular day, but I'll probably go home and have a little dinner with my family," she said.
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