CAMPUS: CABsino closes out Welcome Back Week
By Cynthia Torres
Bridge Staff Writer
Photos by Sean Jimenez
Published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
TAMIU students place their bets on a poker table during CABsino in the Student Center Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
Decorated with a Mardi Gras theme complete with bead necklaces, hats and glasses, CABsino brought students together for an evening of entertainment and prizes. The Campus Activities Board, part of Student Orientation, Leadership & Engagement, hosted the Jan. 23 mock casino in the Student Center Ballroom as the finale for Welcome Back Week.
Numerous Texas A&M International University students attended, participating in decorated photo booths and partaking in a night full of music, food and laughter. Students and faculty were invited to spend the evening mock gambling to receive chips. Each chip held a value of 10 tickets; each ticket represented a raffle entry for various prizes.
“Events like this are important for campus because they build connections between students,” CAB Student Development Specialist Diego Callazo said. “While academics are important, extracurricular activities create spaces where students can come together, socialize and support each other.”
TAMIU junior Augustin Guzman writes names on tickets for the CABsino raffle outside of the Student Center Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2026.
TAMIU freshman Alejandro Xavier Perez dances at CABsino in the Student Center Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2026.
The prizes included headphones, a scooter, an airfryer, two gaming consoles and wireless earbuds. Throughout the night, students continued with an after party hosted by CAB. They danced to various songs by a D.J. The event had two tables—one reserved for the snacks and the other for the mocktails.
TAMIU student Luis Maldonado said, “This event brought everyone together and I won a lot of chips.”
Staff served snacks like cookies and pastries, including signature mocktails like strawberry blast and a mysterious blue liquid. By the end of the night, students had eaten the whole snack table and were tired from dancing.
TAMIU Students place their bets on a roulette game at CABsino in the Student Center Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2026.
Poker chips line the game table at TAMIU’s CABsino on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in the Student Center Ballroom.
Senior Isareli Contreras dances with other TAMIU students on the dance floor at CABsino in the Student Center Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2026.
