Friday, March 2, 2012

Multicultural showcase is a success

By Marc Hartmann
Guest writer

Saint Mary’s University held its third annual Multicultural Showcase on Feb. 18, where a variety of acts performed different dances and songs that represented the diverse cultures of SMU students.

Over 140 students attended the show to watch performances and eat an assortment of food from different cultures around the globe. Several campus clubs came together to help organize the event, including the International Club, Black Students and Allies (BSA), Peace and Justice (P&J), and the Intercultural Awareness Association of America (ICAA).

Lance Thompson, who led the planning of the event, said that the goal of the event is important to campus and remains the same every year.

“The event is at SMU to truly showcase different cultures around campus,” said Thompson. “It gives people an opportunity to perform at a comfortable venue that maybe normally wouldn’t be presented.”

Thompson believes that this showcase distinguishes itself from other shows on campus.

“While shows like Gaslight and Blue Angel are great, they mostly focus on American Pop Music,” said Thompson. “What this showcase does is bring a whole new dimension to what many of us envision as common music or dance.”

The Multicultural Showcase, previously called the International Showcase, featured 13 acts, seven of which were dances.

One of the performers, Yupeng Li, impressed the audience with a rarely seen martial arts routine. Li performed his skills with glow-in-the-dark, custom made nunchucks.

Thompson said that performers like Li will continue to show off their talents for the SMU for years to come. “As long as this kind of interest keeps up, the event will be around for a long time.”

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