On Saturday, students around campus, among others, swarmed to the UC front lawn from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a unique and celebratory experience of culture and diversity in the Arts International Festival.
The annual event was organized to highlight the different cultures, arts and music from other countries, allowing students to get an idea of life in other countries.
Tents were set up on the lawn, each detailing something from another culture. Some tents had items for purchase, and others featured arts and crafts to view, all while music played in the background. Many of the tents offered attendees the opportunity to learn more about different cultures and take a piece of that experience home with them.
Kayla Bodkins, an FMU alumna, was one of several vendors with a tent, showcasing items she called “plushies.” She explained what they are and their origins.
“They’re basically crochet stuffed animals,” Bodkins said. “But you can also call them Amigarumi, which is the Japanese term for a stuffed animal like this. And yeah, they’re basically just crocheted animals with stuffing inside of them.”
Other tents followed a similar format, displaying unique artifacts from other areas, with several including crafts for people to buy and create themselves.
One tent featured several handmade crafts, with items from Japan but also from other countries. A participant went into more detail about what she brought.
“So we have all handmade crocheted items,” Sheyanne Crosby, a tents organizer, said. “Wall hangings, dreamcatchers and Japanese fabric art, which is actually one of our newer things. We also have beaded pins, and we will make your own station so you can pick your own beads and put together yourself.”
Another tent organizer, Melissa Boan, who has Cherokee heritage, said, “I’m part Indian, Cherokee Indian, so I have dreamcatchers from that,” explaining the inclusion of dreamcatchers in her display.
The music and performance element was also a defining feature of the festival, as different groups gave the audience a show. Some, like Hula Fire Entertainment, gave people a unique experience.
Others, such as Latin dancing with Adalia Ellis-Aroha, gave the audience a chance to participate. Several lessons were held throughout the day, on either side of the lawn. They mimicked her usual classes she schedules, teaching students the fundamentals of a culturally popular dance.
Ellis went into more detail behind salsa dancing being incorporated during the festival.
“I think salsa is just such a beautiful dance. And if it gets taught right, it’s not as complicated as people think it is. And I love that today, a lot of students participated in the teach part of it, which was pretty cool,” Ellis said.
Among those that attended were students, getting out from their dorms and taking in the cultured environment for themselves.
Janaya Meyers, a photography and history major, attended and said the event hits home with her family’s African heritage. She also explained how she shares the same love for culture with her family.
“I love it because my stepdad, he’s from Kenya.” Meyers said. “So me and my family, we love African culture to a heart, and then me and my sister, we love West Asian culture.”
Another student, Dwayne Alexander, a computer science major, believes more students should attend these events to appreciate the different cultures.
“We need more people, like the freshmen, to know what any other culture other than the US has right now,” Alexander said.
The tradition of the Arts International Festival is among a plethora of on-campus events taking place to end the spring semester. Be sure to check the campus calendar online and stay up to date with the newest additions. Also, students are advised to check in on their student emails for the Patriot Minute to know what events currently take place on campus.