A culture-filled carnival
From bagpipes to fried rice, games and booths from multiple different countries and cultures filled the second floor of the Taggart Student Center at Utah State University on Saturday night.
Angie Hammond, vice president of the diversity council, said the fourth-annual Diversity Carnival planning started during the third week of school and said it really has turned out well.
“So far, it has been the most attended of all the carnivals,” Hammond said.
She said there were more booths and performers this year than any other year.
Hammond brought many different USU groups and clubs together to participate in the carnival; among them was a new club ROSIE, which stands for “Righteously Open-minded Sisters/Supporters Inclusive of Everyone.”
In the TSC Ballroom a steady stream of performers entertained the crowd. African drummers and sweet swingers from the USU big band swig club heated up the dance floor.
The audience was full of students and community members.
“I’m really enjoying the show,” said freshman Christine Barton who’s majoring in family, consumer and human development, about the African drummers.
Also in attendance was the Native American Student Council, whose purpose is to promote the Native American Culture by providing support groups for Native Americans and interested students and community members, and provide social and educational activities for Native Americans, USU students and the communities of Cache Valley.
The USU Pride Alliance also had a booth. The alliance provided a booth giving out basic information on their mission of serving and providing a safe meeting place and promote acceptance and understanding through education for the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered communities of USU, Logan and Cache Valley.
The Asian, Polynesian and Latin American student counsels also had booths promoting their groups. Their goals were to bring understanding of those cultures to Cache Valley, Logan and USU.
The Women’s Center, Latter-day Saint Student Association and the counseling center also provided booths, games and free food and activities for curious carnival goers.
The USU bagpipe club showed off their pipes and kilts and informed carnival goers of Scottish, Irish and Celtic traditions and the availability of bagpiping lessons.
The Baptist Campus Ministry provided putt-putt golf and free soda opportunities while spreading their mission message of encouraging fellowship, growth and spiritual opportunities for USU faculty, administration and students.
The Eastern European Student Union, formally known as the USU Russian club provided information about the new student union and its goal to provide a place for students from or that have visited eastern European countries to meet and support each other.
The LDS show choir, New Horizons, filled the ballroom with reverent melodies and Steppers from USU’s ONE sorority and Mountain Crest High School stomped rhythmical beats and raised the audience to their feet. Native American performers provided an example of Native American sign language. They signed along to a song and also gave a beautiful example of Native American harvest dancing.
These, along with many other performers that night, provided examples of different cultural dance and song for the community and USU students.
Hammond said she hopes the community and USU will continue to support the effort that Multicultural Student Services has tried to provide.
“It was fun to see all the diverse clubs that USU has to offer,” Barton said.
-kassrobison@cc.usu.edu
Eduardo nunez and saray lopez dance Friday at the Diversity Carnival. (Photo by John Zsiray)
Sombreros lay on a table as part of the hispanic display at the Diversity Carnival Friday in the TSC. (Photo by Michael Sharp)