Best of Florida Schools 2004
Best Multicultural Events

Best Multicultural Events
Eat, Drink, and Be Cultured
Students all over Florida are exposing themselves—to their cultural heritage that is, showing off what makes this melting pot such a spicy mix. From awareness events to festivals to clubs, students are treating their classmates and colleges to the foods, music, and customs of their home countries. And since some folks like to show off a little and others like to show off a lot, events range from an evening’s fling to a month of fun.

For a night’s fun, Pensacola Junior College’s International Night has been exposing students to different cultures for 17 years. What began as a single classical Spanish guitar concert has now evolved into an exhibition of Okinawan dances, country cloggers, gospel choir, Spanish flamenco, and Highland performers. “All participants are not international students,” says Jacinta Straus, downtown center coordinator. “Those participating are representatives of various cultural organizations, and some performers and exhibitors are from the public schools and the University of West Florida.” All performers have to attend rehearsal the night prior to the event, but Strauss says even rehearsal can’t solve some dilemmas, like the Nigerian dancer who wowed some of the crowd. “On International Night, when she came out in her costume and began to perform, the stage crew were so enamored with her, they forgot to open and close the curtains on time or to set the music,” Strauss says.

More than just the performers and audience have sat up and taken notice of PJC’s cultural exposure—they garnered the 2003 Global Initiatives Commission Best Practices Award from the Florida Association of Community Colleges.

Getting theatrical with cultural exposure, Jacksonville University’s United Multicultural Club threw an event exceeding even their own expectations. When UMA hosted the JU-Pollo, modeling their event after the famous Apollo Theater, they hoped for 100, planned for 250, and thanks to good promotion, rocked the worlds of 325 people in the audience. Folk singers, hip-hop dancers, steppers, and poets let their talents all hang out, competing for a grand prize of $300. “The audience was definitely not disappointed,” says Trajan Dubiel, assistant director of campus activities.

JU’s culture club isn’t resting on its laurels after creating the largest multicultural event of the fall semester; they’ve gotten busy planning a Black History Month dinner and a Gospel Extravaganza for spring.

Florida Atlantic University’s annual Sundance Festival revealed more than culture to its audience—it also showed off its new president, former Lieutenant Governor Frank Brogan. Merging Brogan’s inaugural festivities into the cultural extravaganza gave special significance to the fireworks that concluded the evening. “The theme of multiculturalism and diversity is central to the success of FAU and was invoked in all aspects of the presidential inauguration,” says Veronica Vargas, Student Government Association’s director of cultural diversity.

As always, students and the public couldget familiar with the food and music of many nations, but this event had a little kick to it. “One of the most interesting performances was by Negro Gato, an Afro-Brazilian martial arts group,” says Lynn Laurenti, special assistant to the president. The booths and displays gave people plenty to see, but so did the participants and even other spectators. “A majority of students wore traditional clothing from their homeland,” Vargas says.

It takes about a thousand bucks and an eight-hour plane ride to get to Peru—unless you attend Pasco-Hernando Community College, where you can travel to Peru for one day every October without ever booking a seat. Nearly 300 students and staff members show up for this annual event, but who’d want to miss snacking on Peruvian empanadas, drinking cold Inca Cola, and dancing to Inca Son, a Peruvian musical group? “It’s a way to bring the student community together, singing and dancing to the music,” says Bob Bade, coordinator of student activities.

All of PHCC’s clubs and organizations get into the act as well, providing information on Peruvian culture, technology, medicine, and education on display boards. There are even workshops to provide an understanding of Peru’s history. “We have different clubs and bulletin boards tell about the cultural aspects of Peru such as its holidays, food, and clothing,” says Marsha Keller, event assistant. “Having people dressed up in Peruvian clothing singing songs was a huge impact on the students.”

They’re doing more than just talking turkey at Lake Sumter Community College. The student activities crew put a new spin on an existing tradition with a multicultural Thanksgiving feast. The feast went well beyond ordinary Pilgrim chow, incorporating Hispanic, Bermudian, Southern, Chinese, and other cuisines into the mix. “Over 250 people enjoyed the food, cultural displays, and reflection program which included blessings in Spanish and Native American traditions and music,” says Heather Elmatti, student activities coordinator. “We wanted to celebrate the uniqueness of our community represented here at LSCC.”

A single day or night can’t contain some schools’ exhibitions of culture. At Florida Community College at Jacksonville, it takes a week of celebrating, held in conjunction with International Education Week. What began with a core of students from the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarship and the International Club, has now grown to encompass all FCCJ students. “Some three years ago, Dr. Edythe Abdullah, the downtown campus president, requested that we expand the program and include mainstream students, faculty, and in the future the Jacksonville community,” says Luis Montalvo, program director for CASS. Attendees watch a PBS documentary on education programs around the world, wax poetic during international poetry readings, check out fashions from many nations, and of course, eat, drink, and dance, dance, dance. “The events serve to educate students, faculty, and staff and build connections between the international student population and the American student population,” says Aleen Marsh, ESOL professor.

It’s Miami that exposes the most with Miami Dade College—InterAmerican’s month-long Hispanic Heritage Month. Throughout October, students dig into the music and customs of Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Colombia, and of course, they could dig into the food. “Our first event for the month was Food Fest,” says Vanessa Juanes, Student Government secretary. “Students were lined up early and excited about the opportunity to delight their taste buds.” With salsa, mariachi, and Bolivian folk music to wind up the month, students were able to work off any culture they absorbed at the Food Fest. “Many students broke out dancing,” Juanes says.

By Olga Butkevich and Stephanie Reck

Contact  Straus at jstraus@pjc.edu, Dubiel at tdubiel@ju.edu, Laurenti at laurenti@fau.edu, Bade at badeb@phcc.edu, Keller at 352-238-6241, Elmatti at elmattih@lscc.edu,  Montalvo at lmontalv@fccj.edu, Marsh at amarsh@fccj.edu, and Juanes at 305-237-6027.

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