The SLC Great Hall was packed to capacity with a multitude of students from all over the campus, on March 9. They all turned up in considerable numbers to mark the University of Waterloo Cultural Caravan event, which is organized annually by the
Federation of Students.
The event is designed to educate and entertain the students by showing them a variety of cultural performances that celebrate the cultural diversity of the UW community. The event featured 11 clubs, each representing their own cultural background such as the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and the UW Indian Cultural Association (UWICA). The clubs showcased their extraordinary talents with breathtaking performances. The performances included a Vietnamese cultural dance, a West African dance, an Indian dance, a hip-hop dance and a Caribbean dance.
According to the officials in charge of event logistics, the event aims to foster learning about the rich heritage of cultural diversity present at the University of Waterloo. It reminds us about the cultural background and values that determine our culture, customs and traditions. “It gives us the opportunity to be in touch with our roots.”, as eloquently said by the Master of Ceremony.
To students, the event was more than just a presentation on cultural heritage. According to Brad Nguyen, a former 2016-2017 BASE student who performed with the Vietnamese Student Association, Cultural Caravan is all about personal connections and building your leadership skills.
“Dancing styles and harmony require a lot of coordination and teamwork. After I participated in the dance for a period of one month, I was able to make many friends, more than I could imagine,” Nguyen said.
Besides, stress management was another quality that he gained from participating at the event. The warm interactions with friends in the practice provides him relief from academic stress.
“I think it is great experience to me to be part of Cultural Caravan,” Brad concluded.
Cultural Caravan is about discovering and presenting the cultural diversity that can be found at the University of Waterloo. This diversity is introduced by students proud of their countries that want to demonstrate their roots and traditions, as well as the exotic dresses and costumes that represent the spirit of their nations.
One of the most interesting facts about Cultural Caravan is that it is possible to find completely different styles of dances and songs in one place. It is like finding small portions of many countries all united to produce a show that, in some cases, could be the inspiration for other clubs to be part of the event, or even for other people to travel to those countries.
Cultural Caravan also presents a pre-show entertainment before the main event starts. These series of mini events are performed by other clubs, such as the UW Magic Club and the AcaBellas, that provide impressive presentations delighting the public passing by that may eventually decide to stay and watch the whole event.
Cultural Caravan gives those involved an opportunity to get in touch with their background and learn about new cultures from a different perspective. This event may be considered as the cohesion of a diverse community which represents the University of Waterloo. Moreover, it is worth highlighting that most of the participants felt quite comfortable and eager to share their culture with the public.
Knowing about other cultures can give us the opportunity to grow as human beings as well as to find new paths to open our mind and discover unknown traditions or costumes from people who might be our classmates, friends or future colleagues.
Photos by Kevin Jimenez Albuja