From February 28th to March 4th, M-A held an international week on the green to celebrate all the cultures on campus. "It was the most diverse I had ever seen the green in my four years, and I finally felt like I belonged," said senior Diana Castro.
Monday: Black Culture
On Monday, BSU organized a dance competition for students to participate with instrumentals from a local African American performance group. The dancers encouraged students to join in and show off their moves to the beat of the djembes.
"I loved seeing the joy in other people and how happy they are to participate in other people's cultures. It was all very heartwarming to me,"
said senior Alanna Stevenson. Student participants then gathered to the stage as the crowd cheered for their favorite performers.
BSU advisor Sherinda Bryant set up a display of books written by Black authors for students to take home. From autobiographies to science-fiction, students gathered to observe a variety of works.
Stevenson added how she hoped students would understand that "there's a difference between cultural appropriation and cultural celebration."
Tuesday: Asian Culture
The Asian Culture Club sold dumplings with varying fillings, boba drinks, and displayed posters with information on Asian countries.
Wednesday: All Cultures
On Wednesday, students celebrated all cultures, and several clubs joined in for the magical day. M-A's Lideres de Latinx Club sold chicharrones, fried circular pork belly, and candy bags with assorted Mexican candies.
"We grew up eating these treats, and by selling them we hope students can understand our cultural backgrounds as they celebrate all the cultures," said sophomore Francisco Arias.
Thursday: Latinx Culture
On Thursday, students flooded to the green to watch students sing and dance to their favorite Latinx songs.
From the reggaeton classic, Gasolina by Daddy Yankee to the bachata in Obsesion by Aventura, students cheered for the performers.
"As a Guatemalan, dance is a big part of my culture and I wanted to encourage other students to join in so we can unite all as one. I hope students learn about our traditions through the different Latinx dances, so they can understand that you can be from another culture and still celebrate with us. We can all dance together like sisters and brothers when we unite," said Senior Esperanza Miguel.
The Latinos Unidos de Menlo-Atherton (LUMA) club sold tamales and pupusas, which are two dishes often prepared during the holidays.
"I hope the notes on the candy bags brighten students' day, and that they walk away with at least a new perspective of our culture," said Senior Max Villalobos and member of the Lideres de Latinx club.
Students from Ms.McFadden's Latin American Studies class prepared mangonadas, mango sorbet with chamoy and tajin. They also created Loteria game boards for students to play which is an "activity that is common in parts of Mexico and the Caribbean, and also introduces students to important people and places throughout Latin America," McFadden explained.
She added how, "It was a very positive week with great music, food, activities, and a lot of energy!"
Friday: Pacific Islander Culture
For Friday's spectacle, the POLY club performed dances from three different islands, including Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook. Senior and President of the POLY club, Lute Finau, explained how members,
"practiced for four weeks and it was very stressful, and it was the first time our club planned any dance without any help from adults, but I'm overall very happy that everything turned out well.
She added how she hopes students understand the significance of each island's dance and that,
"Each island has its own significant culture, language, dance, and food. I also hope that everyone who saw our dances learn that Tongans, Samoans, Fijians, Tahitians, Hawaiians, etc. are all different people with differing traditions."
Senior and POLY club member, Lupe Lavaka, explained how "Each song has a story and the dance helps translate the story using our motions."
The week ended on a bittersweet note as students, staff, and community members cheered for the last celebration of the week.
"I'll really miss how included I felt in the POLY club, despite being the only one from Guam. If you're from a minority cultural group, as I am, you should join or form other cultural clubs to share your traditions with others on campus," said Senior Alex Lujan.
* This video contains performances by students within the Latinx and Pacific Islander cultures.