Starting today, Student Activities is virtually celebrating Charreada with various events, including a cooking class and bingo with a special guest.
The department opted to go virtual due to the pandemic and extended Charreada from being a one-day big event to several throughout the week.
In previous years, students were able to attend Charreada and participate in activities such as el grito contests, jalapeño-eating contests, as well as a traditional Mexican costume contest.
Director of Student Activities, Cindy Mata-Vasquez, said this is an opportunity for students who haven’t been able to attend events to try and engage.
“Take this opportunity now to see what offices like Student Activities has to offer; the Student Union is also doing an amazing job, University Recreation,” Mata-Vasquez said. “So, definitely don’t be shy, if you’re curious, if you’re interested, jump in and say hi, participate.”
Students can participate in the Virtual Cooking Class at 5 p.m. today via Zoom where they can make an easy recipe from the comfort of their home.
Mata-Vasquez said Sodexo will provide the ingredients list and everything needed to do the virtual cooking class.
“They’re going to pre-record the event, and then we have a couple of brave Student Activities student employees that are going to try to go live and cook as the video happens,” she said.
Students can also attend the Virtual Paint Party at 4 p.m. Thursday via Zoom where they can learn how to create a custom-made Charreada inspired painting.
According to Mata-Vasquez, there are limited paint kits available for students to pick up on the Edinburg or Brownsville campuses to use during the event.
“But we do invite everyone, if you want to go to the dollar store and purchase the canvas and the paint … we can definitely create the colors ourselves,” she said.
The final event of Charreada is the Virtual Comedy Bingo with Morgan Jay at 3 p.m. Friday via Zoom.
According to Jay’s website, he is originally from New Jersey and has over six years of standup and five years of music comedy.
Mata-Vasquez said the host will engage with the students while they play bingo.
Visit the Student Activities’ VLink page to learn more or to RSVP to the events.
