By Eva Mo
The Whatcom Office Student Life and Development hosted the Global Cultural Night on May 2 to celebrate the cultural diversity on campus.
“We wanted to share cultural diversity on campus to Whatcom Community, build a campus community that celebrates diversity, and hope students make new friends on the event,” said Muhammad Adib Thaqif Taufe, the Associated Students of Whatcom Community College director for Campus Collaborative Programing.
Most students who went to the event thought that it related with the International Week that is held every quarter, however Student Life decided to hold two separate events to showcase the diverse student community.
This event was specifically devoted to exotic performances representing cultures from around the world. One of the purposes of the event is to acknowledge cultural diversity on campus.
“This event is very different and very challenging for me because this event really comprises how different culturally we are on campus,” said Adib.
Rishi, who played classical Chinese and Indian music with his partner Nirmal, were two of the performers because they believe “music is borderless.”
American and international students have come together to study at Whatcom and face many challenges of confronting numerous cultural perceptions, and music brings students of all backgrounds together.
Another feature of Global Cultural Night is a fashion show of traditional clothes of India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among many others.
“At the same time, we are also trying to show the whole Whatcom community how we have a strong international presence here on campus,” said Adib. “How the international presence attracts students to stay and study here on campus.”
Some of the national clubs on the campus include the Vietnamese Student Association, Japanese Club, the Indigenous Students Association, Black Student Association, Muslim Student Association and Latinx Leadership Club.
Students who are interested in learning the culture from another country, and making new friends may attend any of the club meetings.
