Celebration of culture event helps curious students learn and have fun

Embassies from around the world welcomed students on April 5 as part of a collaboration between the Students’ Association and student support services to celebrate the diverse cultures on campus.

The event was the 25th time embassies were invited to the college.

“The celebration of culture happens every year with an exception to the restrictions during the pandemic lockdown,” said Nakeya Francis, the diversity and inclusivity event coordinator for the Students’ Association

Francis and Amanda Logan are event programmers for the Students’ Association that worked together with the AC event team, Lauren Larocqe and Samantha Therrien.

Some of the embassies that were present included Zambia, Haiti, Argentina and Vietnam.

Marcela Calderon, a staff member with the embassy from Costa Rica, explained that she was present at the event because she wanted to show her culture to the students and help them learn a bit about Costa Rica.

“We are a country of peace and we are very into the environment,” she said. “We have eco tourism, sustainable tourism, and that is why we are here for you to learn.”

Along with the food and culture displayed, songs and activities were performed to engage the students and make them feel welcomed.

The embassy of Vietnam conducted a game of matching names to food with a USB drive as a prize reward that was made from wood.

Representatives from Ivory Coast also introduced its traditional dance and drums played by one a performer.

Curious students walked through each stand observing clothes, statues and mini antiques that caught their eye. Each stand had a representative ready to explain the history of their country, where they were from and much more.

Camila Gil, a first-year student in the bookkeeping and accounting program at the college, said that she found the event amazing. She was not able to find her country at the event, but she was able to learn more about the culture of other countries.

“I am an immigrant, and as soon as I got an email saying that there was going to be a multicultural experience, I was definitely in,” she said.

Hailey Nguyen, a student from University of Ottawa studying nutrition and food science, explained that she got the information about the event on Facebook posted by a Vietnamese association.

“At uOttawa we don’t really do this,” she said. “The Vietnamese association said that they were going to be here, so I came here. I got to learn and try different foods from different cultures, and it was so much fun.”