UTRGV’s Campus Programming Board will host its first Selena Night from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday on the Troxel Hall Lawn on the Edinburg campus.
The event will celebrate the birth of the Tejano superstar, Selena Quintanilla. Attendees are able to participate in a costume contest and karaoke for a chance to win V-Bucks.
For the costume contest, participants should dress up either as Selena or people from her life. The winner will receive 30 V-Bucks and each karaoke participant, open to all music, will receive 10 V-Bucks. There will also be Lotería and each winner will receive one V-Buck.
Quintanilla, also known as the Queen of Tejano music, was born April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson and was killed by Yolanda Saldívar, a fan club founder, on March 31, 1995, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
Alejandra Cardenas, pop culture committee chair for CPB, coordinated the event. She said people should attend the event to have a better understanding of the artist.
“Well, it could help them understand her career, her music, her style of music, how she was successful at a young age, how she, like, continued her career, even though she had obstacles and to never give up because everything is achievable,” Cardenas said.
She said she wants the event to take place annually because of Corpus Christi’s Fiesta De La Flor, a two-day festival that celebrates the life and legacy of Selena, according to its information page.
Communication studies freshman Alondra López said she was surprised people don’t know who Quintanilla is.
“Everyone knows Selena and her music, especially here in the [Rio Grande] Valley,” López said. “Her music has culturally impacted all over Texas. She’s, like, the Valley’s idol.”
Throughout each fall and spring semester, UTRGV departments host events that invite students, faculty and staff to relax and interact with each other, such as Late Night hosted by the University Recreation and UTRGV Madness hosted by the Campus Programming Board, which are either educational, recreational or festive.
“I feel like it’s a great way to promote people that made an impact in our culture and for people to learn about idols like herself in a fun way,” López said.
UTRGV Athletics also honored the Tejano superstar by hosting its third annual Selena Night last Saturday. The first 100 attendees in Saturday’s baseball game against Grand Canyon University were to receive Selena Night T-shirts.
For more information about CBP’s Selena Night, call 665-7991 or email cpb@utrgv.edu.
