Being aware of the traditions and cultures of various nations is not only fascinating, but it is also important to anyone who hopes to thrive in a multicultural society.
On Sunday, April 3, the 8th annual multi-cultural showcase — “Fusion” — was held in the auditorium at the D.P. Culp University Center. Attendees witnessed the fashion, dance and song of different nations including Uganda, Cameroon, Pakistan and many more.
Hindi songs were performed, followed by a fashion show displaying a variety of traditional saris and other Indian dress.
Dances from different African nations were presented in groups and as solos.
ETSU Director of Multicultural Affairs Laura Terry organizes the event so that each year varies as far as the content of the showcase, but the desire is always to include as much cultural diversity as possible.
“I try to get as many students as I can to wear different cultural clothing,” Terry said. “It just depends on what students we have and what countries we have them from.”
Terry said ETSU Multicultural Affairs reaches out to the international student body in order to find students who are willing to participate in educating their peers about their countries’ sundry cultural traditions.
Terry said she also has students of all nationalities wearing pieces of her own collection of exotic clothing, which she has accrued through gifts and personal travels.
“I had an African student wearing Chinese clothes, African-Americans wearing clothes from Africa, […and] white students wearing Hispanic clothes,” Terry said. “Some of the clothes belong to students and some I have myself.”
The talent portions were layered among the fashion displays, making the flow of the entire “Fusion” showcase enjoyable for all, regardless of how much prior knowledge or interest they had in the topics being presented.
