Sampling Culture

Joel Hernandez, a junior transfer, was all smiles as he passed out fliers at a booth in front of the IU Auditorium Thursday. He is new to IU, yet he was already under a tent.\n"I'm experiencing college for the first time from a small community college," the La Casa volunteer said. "Seeing people come and go, it's great."\nHernandez was one of many volunteers at the sixth annual CultureFest, a food and information party that encourages a diverse climate. The festival included performances by the IU Swing Club, the Chinese Yo-Yo Club and the Cosa Fin'e Irish Dancers.\nHernandez said he's noticed people from different backgrounds coming and going to get to know Hispanic culture, at the festival and at La Casa on other days.\n"There's actually a Hispanic community here and places cater to the Hispanic community which I love," he said as catered to students with their eyes on La Casa's Peruvian entrée, made of chicken and rice.\nFreshman Alfons Eggink said he enjoyed the diverse entertainment at CultureFest, especially the Cosa Fin'e "Fiery Feet" Irish Dancers. But while he was up for branching out, a more recognizable feast of the ears was equally enticing.\nEarlier, a packed IU Auditorium watched as junior Patricia Mota and a friend opened festivities with a traditional Aztec Dance from Mexico.\n"It felt like I was having people wonder, saying what's going on?" said Mota between serving hungry students. "The first part was a sign of giving thanks and the second half was about celebration of life."\nMota opened for Kevin Wanzer, public speaker and Butler University graduate, who was invited back to speak at this year's CultureFest. Wanzer congratulated IU and the festival-goers as delightfully abnormal. After noting that children only have two fears at birth -- fear of falling and of loud noises -- Wanzer asked what are the events in that we've construed as being negative, using the example of his 3-legged dog.\n"I used to have a three-legged dog, and small children don't realize a leg's gone or anything's a matter," said Wanzer, who used to work for "The Late Show with David Letterman." "'What's different about him,' I'd ask the kid, and he'd guess, 'He likes cat food?' 'Isn't he different, though?' 'No, he's a three-legged dog. Three-legged dogs are supposed to have three legs.'\n"Then the child's mother glared at me and said, 'That dog only has three legs.' And the boy started crying while he was petting him… Not because of (happiness) but because he was now scared of the dog. The dog went from being his best friend to scaring him."\nChildren and pets are more alike than we realize, he said, ladeling his speech with idioms like "growing up to be a child," because kids smile on average 365 times a day while adults do 17.