By Faith Edwards, Staff Writer
World Fest is an important tradition for United and Mutually Equal. It all began with a student who thought of it in the nineties. Now, it has become one of their largest events on campus.
In the past, they have typically started planning for the event in the summer. This year, they started planning in September; when I asked them about it, Dean Yvonne Bogle and Kolu Sharpe both nodded, agreeing that they should have begun earlier. With the size of this program it was all hands on deck to ensure that it was a success.
In order to be safe in the time of COVID-19, the event was held outside on Commonwealth Lawn for the second year in a row. Sharpe commented on this, saying “Even if the restrictions are lifted, we feel a responsibility to keep people’s safety in mind.” Fortunately, there was good weather and good attendance, which is what Sharpe and Bogle were hoping for.
The planning process can be stressful as Sharpe commented, “It ends well, but leading up to it is like, ‘what’s happening?’” Specifically, when it comes to working with different performers and artists, the planning can become quite tedious; different performers have different requirements, and they all have different temperaments.
This year they worked with both local artists and artists from different parts of the country. Some of them were returners from previous years, but they also worked with new artists as well.
Performances this year included African Drummers, Mandala Indian Dancers, a Jazz Band, and Ribbon Dancers from Asian Performing Arts. Some performances featured Western New England University students, such as the fashion show. In this show, students dressed up in a range of different attire from different cultures and time periods.
It was obvious that the students had put in hard work to proudly and respectfully showcase these varying styles. The group that closed out the event and ended it with a “bang” was the Golden Steppers, the University’s step team. Together, as a team, they flowed seamlessly in rhythm with strong, confident movements.
At the event, there were food trucks and other restaurants whose offerings were hand served into individual to-go containers. Upon arrival, attendees were able to pick a restaurant they wanted to try and a dessert to go with it. They were also given a raffle ticket and the chance to pick from a diverse array of raffle baskets. There were baskets that centered around certain cultures, different hobbies, self care, and more.
When speaking to Sharpe and Bogle the day before the event, they informed me that one of their main intentions regarding this event is to expose students to different cultures. Our University is a primarily white institution, and students do not always take the initiative to experience cultures
outside of their own.
United and Mutually Equal strives to bring some of those cultures onto campus for the convenience of students and to encourage them to try new things. It “is an opportunity for people to get out of their comfort zone and not remain in their ignorance. You can’t know if you don’t like something if you don’t try it,” Bogle remarked.
This event, like most of U&ME’s events, is free and welcomes students. The Office of Inclusive Excellence and United and Mutually Equal strive to enlighten students about cultures around the world.
