CultureFest to be a ‘treat’ for freshmen

The ninth annual CultureFest promises to give newcomers a colorful display of the many different cultures that inhabit IU’s campus.

CultureFest begins at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the IU Auditorium with a video and a speaker and concludes in the Fine Arts Plaza with food, music, dancing and games, said Melanie Payne, associate director of orientation programs and director of summer orientation and Welcome Week. 

The video, titled “The Stories of Indiana University,” highlights the different backgrounds all IU students come from and the experiences they bring with them, Payne said. 

“We want (the freshmen) to get to know people not like themselves,” Payne said.
 
The scheduled speaker, Ed Gerety, is a motivational speaker and has appeared in all 50 states, Canada and Europe, according to his Web site.  Payne said Gerety empowers people to think about things in new ways. 

“He uses personal stories to help us remember to reach out and make a difference,” Payne said.  

The Fine Arts Plaza will be filled with representatives from different cultural centers on campus, including La Casa, the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, the Native American group First Nations, and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services, Payne said. New students will have a chance to sample food from roughly 15 different local restaurants, including Dats, Siam House, Bloomingfoods and Grazie.

Babita Upadhyay, program and administrative assistant of the IU Asian Cultural Center said the ACC will have a booth where guests can play Asian games and receive prizes, as well as sample plenty of Asian food to satisfy new and returning students.
“We consider CultureFest to be the freshmen’s introduction to IU’s diversity,” Upadhyay said.

Junior Mark Swick, president of the Hillel Center Student Leadership Cabinet said the Hillel Center will use CultureFest to showcase the opportunities and resources the center offers students. 

“We will also be handing out some of our literature, such as our calendar, some information about our R100 classes and kosher dining options,” Swick said.

The festival will showcase music and dance from the different culture centers in attendance, Payne said. Festival attendees will see hip-hop, Middle Eastern and swing dancing. Anyone in the mood to dance can move it to hard rock, folk and R&B, as well as the steel pan sounds of the Caribbean. Students can even take salsa lessons. 

The a capella group Straight No Chaser will be there, as will the IU Breakdance club and the salsa dance group Ritmos Latinos.  

“We want students to get a taste of the different types of experiences they can have while at IU,” Payne said. 

The festival will also feature henna tattoo and caricature artists for anyone who wants to be drawn or drawn on. Payne said she expects the turnout for the festival to be about 4,000 students. 

At 7:30 p.m., the IU Art Museum will host the CultureFest After-Party where students can view the museum’s galleries, sample coffee from around the world and indulge in chocolates from BLU Boy Chocolate Cafe. 

“This is kind of a gift to the students from the University. It’s educational but celebratory, too,” Payne said.  “It really is just a way to experience the different cultures and people that make up IU.”