Spring Break
Multicultural clubs provide diversity on campus
By: by Dino Ramos
Issue date: 8/30/01 Section: Aggie Life
Texas A&M has a culture that may be viewed as a strange religion to many outsiders. The traditions that the student body considers a normal way of life are seen as odd to outsiders. Many traditions are carried out by organizations but multicultural organizations are overlooked many times. These organizations aim to spread awareness of their culture and promote diversity on campus.
Two popular events that promote cultural awareness and diversity are International Week (I-week), held by the Multicultural Services and the International Student Association and the Whoopstock Unity Festival. Both are held in the spring semester.
During I-week, an assortment of multicultural organizations put their culture on display to educate students about countries such as the Philippines, China, India and Bolivia. The festivities throughout the week include a wide array of cultural displays in the Memorial Student Center, an international buffet, a talent show and dress parade. The Chinese Student Association, the Vietnamese-American Student Association, the Indian Student Association and the Philippines’ Student Association (PHILSA) take part in I-Week. Many of the members see this as an opportunity to break the barriers between races and to make cultural events more mainstream at A&M.
“It’s kind of sad that events like I-week and Whoopstock are not heavily promoted like Midnight Yell and Muster are,” said Linh Nguyen, treasurer of PHILSA and junior biomedical sciences major. “Organizations like PHILSA work their best to educate and bring culture to A&M in hopes that these events will be on the same level as the traditional Aggie events are.”
The Whoopstock Unity Festival brings a carnival-type atmosphere to O.R. Simpson Drill Field where Aggies are given the opportunity to enjoy a day of culture. Cultural dances and songs are present. In addition to the entertainment, booths are set up around the field to serve different types of food and to provide even more cultural awareness.
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