Culture, color, and camaraderie filled the Quad for the sixth annual World Fest on Thursday, April 20.
Hosted by the Cadena Cultural Center, World Fest boasted a wide range of booths, performances, and food celebrating different cultures from around the globe, fitting the “people, cultures and the earth” theme.
Ranging from showcasing the Filipino culture to analyzing the revolution in Mexican fashion, the student-run booths shined in the most successful World Fest yet.
“This was the largest we’ve ever had,” said Vincent White, event coordinator for the Cadena Center. “We’ve had the most booths we’ve ever had and it’s been great. We wanted to occupy the entire quad, have activity going on, and it really worked out well.”
One booth, ran by students of ethnic studies professor Amber Gonzalez, presented the deep history of fashion revolution in Chicano history with a wheel spinning from the Revolution to the Post-Punk era.
The geography department challenged students to learn about the origins of their clothing with the theme “Who Made My Clothes?” The booth educated students on the cruel environments many of their clothes are made, most of which come from seedy sweatshops run in third world countries.
The festival also staged a number of performances from several students showcasing their cultural pride.
Asia Washington, an Umoja member, performed a rendition of the haunting song “Strange Fruit,” most famously performed by Bille Holiday in 1939. The song was written to protest racism and lynching in America at the time, but the message of the song has lost no relevance to modern America.
“I chose that song because of everything that is happening today and how it is still relevant. It has a power to it, and it’s sad to think that you can sing [the song] and still imagine it happening today,” said Washington.
In addition to culture, World Fest showcased a display focusing solely on environmental issues and the ways students can become more environmentally conscious.
“Even though it’s not an Earth Day event, there’s still that Earth Day angle. We’re making students aware of some of the issues we face and maybe come together and think about solutions,” said White.
Food also played a large role in spreading culture between students with Sodexo’s contribution to the food court. The court served many different dishes like Thai curry fish soup from Thailand, peri peri chicken from Africa, and lamb kabobs with saffron rice from the Middle East.
Students also participated in a chalk art contest with a prize of a $100 gift card to the FC bookstore awarded to the winner of each category reflecting the event’s themes.
“The ultimate goal of World Fest is related to the bylines of people, places, and the Earth. Honestly, it’s to share. To share our stories, share our culture, share our diversity,” said White.
Beaming with laughs, respect, and culture, the quad reflected that idea of sharing.
“You look around and you see people communicating and playing and sharing. Just sharing their culture and having fun,” said White.
For more information on future Cadena Center events, visit them in room 212 or check out their website.
