The Cora I. Grove Spiritual Center was abuzz with music, dancing and sugar as the French and Creole clubs held their sixth annual Mardi Gras celebration Thursday evening.

The event was designed to spread cultural awareness through the attendees’ participation in traditional Francophone food and festivities. It also served as a fundraiser for Project Gros Mangles.

Project Gros Mangles is an effort to provide needed services to the group’s namesake, a small Haitian village. Led initially by modern language professor Agnes Ragone, the group is now deeply intertwined in the culture of the modern language department.

Ragone accepted entry fees at the door with Blandine Mitaut, her lone counterpart in French instruction at Shippensburg University. The proceeds will be used to continue the construction of a dispensary in Gros Mangles, which will be the village’s first medical facility. A roof is the current objective after the foundation and walls were completed over the last two years in a joint effort by Shippensburg students and the residents of Gros Mangles.

The most popular attraction of the night was a dance competition led by department chair José Ricardo Osorio. Ricardo showed the attendees a dance move, which they learned and practiced for the first hour or so during the festivities. At the end, couples were assigned a number and competed in order, taking the dance floor two at a time, though they were judged individually.

The winners for best dancers were applied history master’s student Meriah Swope and international studies and politics major Serge Kalambay for the female and male categories, respectively.

The dance competition was one of three for the night — best dancer, best mask and best costume. No one had brought a costume, but the best mask winner was sophomore international studies and French major Marleigh Chaney.

“When I saw it advertised I made sure to set time to attend,” Chaney said. “It was a great way to celebrate the holiday while raising money for a good cause.”

Chaney was not the only one who was enjoying the event for the first time, although several of the attendees have come every year they were at Shippensburg.

At the end of the night, two people received the coveted King and Queen of Mardi Gras awards. Junior international studies and French major Pierre Médé was the King of Mardi Gras, and freshman international studies and marketing major Taren Swartz was the queen.

Applause and raucous cheers provided the soundtrack to their acceptance of the awards.

“The crown was made for you,” Ragone said.

At the end of the evening, Ragone and Mitaut could be found trying to make sure they did not end up with any extra sweets — the beignets and King Cake, typical Francophone fare for the holiday, were popular among guests.

The Mardi Gras holiday officially takes place today, preparing for the commencement of Lent in traditional Catholic culture.

To stay updated on the organization’s work in Haiti, visit www.projectgrosmangles.com.

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