Various cultural foods, fashion and entertainment were showcased to an audience of about 150 people in the Skutt Student Center Ballroom last week during Creighton University’s International Student Association (ISA) Cultural Night.
Cultural Night was a chance for students, staff and faculty on campus to come together and share parts of their culture with the Creighton community. The cultures represented included Indian, Korean, Jamaican, Filipino and American, among others.
“We were focusing on having students, staff and members from different cultures so they can come together… [The night was] open to everyone, and we tried to diversify as much as possible,” ISA Vice President Prashant Adki, a first-year Ph.D. student in the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, said.
Some of the attendees brought their children, which added to the joyful atmosphere of the night.
“[Kids attending] gives you that whole family vibe… It’s a nice feeling to have families around,” ISA Vice President of Finances Aayushi Dumbre, a first-year master’s student in the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, said.
Throughout the night, different performances were held to showcase aspects from a range of cultures, including a performance from a Crighton acapella group and Bollywood dances. There was also a variety of food, which was sourced from several Omaha restaurants, representing multiple cultures. The entertainment and meal all seemed well-loved by the event’s attendees.
“I think our main focus was the food, because everyone loves food… I was so happy when… we were standing there trying to serve or help people out, and the [joyful] expressions and emotions they were showing, I was satisfied and content,” Dumbre said.
ISA, which currently has five members on their executive board, has been planning Cultural Night since December and is proud of how the event turned out.
“I personally do think it was a great success… I think given the time and the [number of] people we had on [our executive] board, we did a pretty good job. I’m happy and satisfied,” Dumbre said.
The event gave international students the opportunity to feel more at home.
“At Creighton we speak about the importance of community and the community building, especially for our international students who are far away from home, [and it’s] even more important than ever these days,” Krista Cupich Wingender, the director of international student and scholar services, said. “And it is so wonderful to see everyone gathering to showcase and highlight the diversity of cultures that we have across campus. And coming together as a family… shows the true global spirit and reach that Creighton really brings to the world and that our graduates bring to the world.”
Members of ISA, like Adki and Dumbre, found that this sentiment shone through in the event.
“It really opened many new doors, …like a Creighton community that is a very close community,” Adki said. “I never felt that kind of closeness when I was in other universities. So that is something that I absolutely love [and] learned. The people here are very nice and it really feels like a family. It doesn’t feel like, you know, it’s a business or anything.”
Dumbre shared a similar sentiment.
“I feel homesick a lot, because I am a person who likes to be around family and friends and I like social gatherings. I like to hang out, dance, music, everything. And I think yesterday [during the ISA Cultural Night] it felt like this was everything I was missing… Despite being away from home, I felt home.”
The event was a collaborative effort across the Creighton community. Cupich Wingender assisted ISA in planning the event. Additionally, they had help from several volunteers. The Global Engagement Office, Creighton Intercultural Center, the Office of Sustainability Programs and the Creighton Students Union also worked with them.
ISA is open to all students, including Americans, who want to share their cultures and experiences while also learning about others.