Vintage Days week kicks off

By JENNA NIELSEN

Fresno State showed its ‘wild side’ at the annual Casino Night in the University Student Union Thursday.

A Walk on the Wild Side is this year’s theme for Vintage Days, which runs Thursday and goes through Sunday.

Casino Night had a western theme complete with a recreated saloon and students and members of the public tried their luck at blackjack and Texas hold ‘em.

“I was in the USU studying and decided to come upstairs when I got done with my study group,” said Kristine Taco Taco, a junior kinesiology major.

Taco Taco went on to win a raffle four times in a row. “This is way more fun than studying,” she said.

Student co-coordinator Chelsea Silva said admission was free, and for $3 a person, patrons got $1,500 in play money. She also said complimentary chips, salsa, water and soda were provided for all who went.

Frankie Moore adviser for Vintage Days said prizes for those who won included DVD and CD players, various gift baskets and a Vintage Days gift pack that included a water bottle, pen, magnet, Frisbee and T-shirt.

Thrill-seekers got a chance to ride a mechanical bull for $3.

“I came to play poker with my friends and then saw the mechanical bull and decided to ride it,” said Ron Pizano, a senior enology major. “It was fast and fun,” he said.

Freshman Javon Burris said he had never ridden the mechanical bull before. “It was fun and I would do it again,” he said.

“It was fun, but it is a lot harder than it looks,” said Danielle Flowers, a senior criminology major.

There was also a karaoke contest where the first-prize winner received $150. Second place took home $75 and third place $25.

Senior music major Lindsay Rynda was one of the contestants and she sang Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Michael Horta, a senior business major made the audience go wild when he sang, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.”

Freshman vocal performance major Adam Matthew Fernandez sang “Any Dream Will Do,” from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Other events at Casino Night included a raffle and an opportunity for patrons to take an old western style “wanted for $2,005” picture. Biology major Angelina Carrasco took the picture with a friend and played a lot of the games.

“We played blackjack and won all these tickets,” Carrasco said. “I like the music, all the people and the fact that we won prizes.”

Student director for Vintage Days Benito Cardenas said every year all the coordinators get to decide what the theme for Casino Night will be.

“We try and make the theme fit with the overall theme of Vintage Days,” he said.

The event was co-sponsored by the Fresno State Alumni Association and AJ’s Tuxedo Junction.

Events going on every day at this year’s Vintage Days include a crafts fair, the Boomtown Carnival and a kid’s zone with arts & crafts, pony rides, a petting zoo and other rides.

Friday is salsa night and from 6:30p.m. to midnight, there will be various activities such as salsa dancing, lessons and live music.

Saturday will feature live bands at the concert stage and a battle of the bands in the Satellite Student Union from 7p.m. to 11p.m.

Tickets are $5 in advance for students.

For a complete schedule of events, pick up a copy of the Vintage Press in the University Student Union.