Students spread cultural awareness at Unified Holiday Celebration
Students sing at the Unified Holiday Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 19 in the Bovee University Center Rotunda. The event brought diverse members of the Central Michigan University and Mount Pleasant community together.
Julius Cantuba said it’s important for students to remember people celebrate winter holidays other than Christmas.
“Before (students) go to Thanksgiving next week, the Unified Holiday Celebration brings awareness to other holidays,” Cantuba said, who is a student staff assistant in the Multicultural Academic Student Services office.
The Unified Holiday Celebration was hosted by MASS in the Bovee University Center Rotunda on Thursday, Nov. 19 to embrace diverse cultures and faiths during the holiday season.
Cantuba’s favorite aspect of the event is the way students get involved and present their traditions. This year, the African Students Association presented about celebrations recognized in Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria.
Chelsea Bowens, who is the co-president of the African Students Association and a Cultural and Global Studies ambassador, said one of the group’s goals for their performance was debunking some myths about Africa.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how much diversity is in Africa because a lot of people see Africa as a country and not a continent and they don’t realize how many countries (are there),” Bowens said.
Within Africa, there are many different cultures, religious groups and languages, she said.
Members of the organization educated people about holidays they celebrate in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana, speaking in the local languages then translating to English.
“It helps bring cultures together and promote inclusion,” Bowens said. “You never know who you’re going to meet; there’s so many different people in this world and these types of programs help you visualize that.”
The Unified Holiday Celebration featured Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year and Eid, and also included a performance by the Christ Central Choir and a unified holiday jeopardy game. The Cultural and Global Studies program also helped put on the event.
“Just as any university, we (at CMU) are a cohesion of amazing ideas, and great things are inspired by diverse ideas,” Cantuba said. “We’re trying to bring awareness to that.”
The African Students Association will host a “So You Think You Know Africa?” trivia game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 23 in the Charles V. Park Library auditorium.
