ALANA’s Culture Fest began with a “passport”: a card listing all the cultural organizations present on April 10 in Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room. ALANA Intercultural Programming Board supports the activities, services and programming of many cultural clubs on Cornell’s campus. Its most anticipated event is its annual Culture Fest, which featured more than 10 cultural organizations, celebrating diversity and cultural interaction. Each organization stood by tables arranged in a circle around the room, showcasing unique foods, games and culturally relevant information. Armed with our passports, we felt like we were starting our journey across the world as we entered Culture Fest.
Our travels began at the Indonesian Association at Cornell’s table, where we were greeted with the bold flavors of Indomie, a popular Indonesian noodle dish. Our next destination was Cornell Asian Pacific Student Union, where a spin of a trivia wheel taught us about the Silk Road. The Haitian Students Association, only a few steps away, boasted Haitian Pâté, a type of patty or baked puff pastry with a meat filling.
Just a few minutes later, we found ourselves doing math at Project Hope’s table, which showcased its education based initiative by challenging students to solve as many multiplication problems as possible in 30 seconds. As we put our pencils down, an intricately made, colorfully woven garment caught our eyes. A member of Cornell’s Organization for Afghan Students informed us that it was an Afghan traditional dress and encouraged us to try Bolani, a flatbread stuffed with potatoes.
Deafening cheering and upbeat music signaled the start of one of many performances of the night. Cornell’s E.Motion, a K-Pop dance group, was the first to take the stage. We managed to tear our eyes away for long enough to enjoy mango lassi from the Pakistani Students Association and learn about Nigeria’s economy from the Nigerian Students Association before our attention was captured once again by Anjali, a South Asian classical dance team. Their dancing, different in style yet equally as captivating as E.Motion’s, held the crowd transfixed.
Located in Ithaca, a relatively isolated, rural area, Cornell isn’t exactly where one might expect to find such a celebration of diversity. Yet the truth is that our student body is made up of individuals from many different backgrounds, cultures and experiences — including those with roots in Ithaca long before Cornell was built.
Gahsëni’de’ Hubbell ’27, a member of Native American and Indigenous Students at Cornell and the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Nation, whose traditional homelands are in the Finger Lakes region, said, “I want people to know that there are students literally from this area. Native communities have just as much beauty as any other community, and we’re still here.” Hubbell was dressed in a colorful traditional ribbon skirt, hummingbird earrings and turquoise jewelry, symbols of unity and connection within the Native community.
At Cornell, it may be difficult for students to balance both their professional ambitions and their cultural identities. Many of us have likely felt pressure to choose which part of our identity to show at different times on campus, even questioning how involved we should be within a cultural organization without losing focus on academics. But when surrounded by the clear planning and preparation that went into Culture Fest, we were struck with the reminder that beyond the classroom, students work hard to share an important part of who they are to others.
When we asked Haitian Student Association member Nicolas Bélizaire ’29 if there was anything else about his culture that he didn’t get the opportunity to share at Culture Fest, he said, “Haitian people are so down to earth and understanding … At Cornell, sometimes people are so focused on their career and academic achievements. You forget to just take a step back, enjoy life, connect and form human connections. That’s what I want people to get from Haitian culture.”
Bélizaire was not the only one who had other things to share about his culture. As we went around to other tables and spoke to more student organizations, we were able to hear about future events that students were excited to promote, such as the Mexican Students Association’s upcoming Fourth Annual Quinceañera. These interactions were particularly meaningful because, even in a limited space, each table had something unique to spotlight, leaving us eager to learn more about each club. Clearly, Culture Fest was only a small taste of what Cornell’s student organizations have to offer.
ALANA’s Culture Fest emphasized the fact that diversity is a strength. Within two hours, we were able to learn about so many different cultures such as their traditional dress, popular foods and important values. The variety of interaction that Culture Fest encouraged — whether taking pictures with other students at the photo booth, learning about cultural organizations on campus or watching dance performances — allowed the hundreds of students in attendance to appreciate how cultural diversity enlivens and enriches Cornell’s community.
It’s easy to stay within our own familiar groups, but meeting new people who do not share our background is one of the most exciting aspects of the college experience. As Cornell students, we may not have the time to travel around the world to appreciate cultural diversity, but luckily, we don’t have to. Events like ALANA’s Culture Fest allow Cornellians to proudly express their own cultural identities, and appreciate those of others — without ever leaving Cornell’s campus.
Krystal Kymn is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at klk239@cornell.edu.
Angelina Lei is a sophomore in the College of Human Ecology. She is a staff writer for the Lifestyle department and can be reached at alei@cornellsun.com.
