Photos by Alex Hoben/The Collegian
RABBIA MOLAI
campus editor
rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu
For the first time since 2019, NE Campus hosted the International Festival, a three-day event celebrating varied cultures from around the world.
The event was held from April 11 to April 13 and had a plethora of events for students to partake in.
On the first day, there were keynote speakers and a film showing.
On the second day of the festival, Grammy Award-winning band Brave Combo came and played a mix of different cultural tunes, which students could listen to while eating an array of Mexican cuisine.
Spanish instructor Humberto Rodríguez was one of the organizers of this year’s festival. He was incredibly excited to showcase so many different cultures to students.
“It’s good for cultural awareness and just exposing students to different cultures, different music and different forms of thinking,” Rodríguez said.
This sentiment seemed to be shared by many students as well.
NE student Carimar Vargas was incredibly happy with the events, expressing how she was pleasantly surprised by how interactive and fun it was.
“I was expecting it to just be little stalls outside, but I loved the tables, the food, the band, it was all so much fun,” Vargas said.
Vargas also spoke about how happy she was that TCC was embracing the amount of cultural diversity present on its campuses by hosting these events.
“I feel like it builds a sense of community here at the college by celebrating the diversity that’s obviously here,” Vargas said.
The third day of events brought out a swarm of students. There were live performances from Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble, Movers Unlimited dance team, NE Latin Jazz Orchestra and United Dance Academy Samba Troupe featuring Mr. Rodríguez.
The performers invited students to come and learn the different art forms of their cultures. Bandan Koro taught students how to do traditional African dances, while United Dance Academy taught students the different ways to samba.
Many students jumped at the opportunity to try something new and gain a better appreciation for another culture.
“I didn’t think today I would wake up and try Afro-Brazilian dancing, but it was actually pretty interesting, and I’m leaving with a deeper appreciation for different cultures,” NE student Mikel Serpe said.
Along with the performances, there were also free tacos and nachos, as well as tons of booths from different clubs, businesses and organizations for the students to experience. Two of the most popular booths were a free henna station and the Boys and Girls Club of America game van.
Students were also excited to see how many different resources they have available on campus. From free tutoring to 3D printing, there seemed to be a booth for anything a student could need to improve their experience.
“It’s so fun seeing all the clubs and organizations out and seeing how many resources really are on campus,” NE student Esmeralda Nava said.
Nava commented on how refreshing it was to see so many students all together enjoying the festival rather than just solely being concerned with their classes.
