When one hears about Mardi Gras, usually three things come to mind: beads, boobs, and booze. This is a big misconception, however, and English teacher MaryLove Wynne is one example. Every year, she participates in a family oriented, fun-filled event in the heart of New Orleans itself. This contagious Mardi Gras atmosphere infected her fourteen years ago when Wynne moved with her husband to a naval base in New Orleans. As the wife of a military officer, she went to the officers’ wives meetings on base. Their first meeting concerned the annual formal CAMAN (Coast Guard, Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy) ball for Mardi Gras. “The CAMAN ball is what really got me started,” said Wynne. “It’s a blast to be able to get all dressed up every so often while surrounded by friends.” Wynne became very involved, and as such became the Navy Princess of CAMAN her first year there, and a Queen of CAMAN on her third year. This high honor has been one of her many drives to come back to New Orleans to reconnect with all her old friends and fellow queens. “The CAMAN’s ball is a huge, fun game,” said Wynne. “Even the Senators and Congressmen that came to the ball had to bow down to me, as if I was really their ‘queen.’” Mardi Gras is a week-long event that is treated like more like a holiday than most others throughout the country. It runs from January 6 through the day before Easter, and is composed of constant parades. Schools are even cancelled for these massive events, and the entire town celebrates loudly, filling the streets with laughter, family, and music. “The Cajun music and food is what I grew up with and love,” said Wynne. “Just recalling the sounds and tastes bring a smile to my face.” Amongst these parades are amounts of beads beyond comprehension. The popular saying “it’s all about the beads” sums it up perfectly. All in the fun of Mardi Gras, beads have a unifying friendly effect; though it’s a competition to see who gets the most, in the end it’s a game of pawning them off on people. “The beads are so sought-after that once, during a parade, a thrower was offering a huge bag of big beads,” said Wynne. “Everyone, including me, chased down this float in an attempt to be given that prize. I scraped my knee and became a little hoarse from yelling, but I got the bag!” These traditions and a family-like atmosphere is what Mardi Gras means to Wynne and what keeps her coming back. “People are genuine, very laid back and find any excuse to have fun,” said Wynne. “They are so family oriented and lively with music everywhere, it simply feels good to be a part of them.”