Let's Get Cultured

By Lindsey Lashway

The Cultural Extravaganza does exactly what it advertises; it is diversity at its best.  Looking around the Bayou Theater Saturday, March 28, at all the students from all over the world gathered in one place showed just how diverse the population here at University of Houston–Clear Lake really is.
The Cultural Extravaganza has been an annual event celebrated at UHCL for the past 13 years.  This year, more than 100 students participated, representing 20 countries.  Students performed skits, sang songs, read poetry and danced.  
Students do not, however, have to do a skit, sing or dance to represent their country.  At the end of the performances, students who didn’t participate earlier do a “culture walk” and walk across the stage holding their countries’ flags, and sometimes, wearing traditional dress.
The Cultural Extravaganza is a “student-driven event,” said Sameer Pande, assistant director of Intercultural and International Student Services.  
“It [Cultural Extravaganza] is diversity at its best here at UHCL,” Pande said.  This year’s Extravaganza will be his tenth.  “People in the community have really started looking forward to this event.”
The performers for the evening consisted of groups from India, Vietnam, Wales, Trinidad, Tobago, and Mexico. Countries that were represented in the culture walk were Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Iran, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Netherlands, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S., which Pande said is the hardest country to represent find students to represent.
After the performances were over, booths representing the different countries gave the audience members the chance to sample different kinds of foods from the various countries.
“I’m excited to be involved in this event,” said Doyle Rodrigues, chair of the Cultural Extravaganza.  This is Doyle Rodrigues’ second year participating in the Extravaganza.  
“The success of this event depends on student involvement,” Pande said.
This year, it was the Indian Students Organization, the Vietnamese Students Organization, and the Black Students Organization that made the initial fund request and got the ball rolling on organizing the event.  
For students looking to participate in next year’s Cultural Extravaganza, the information is available in the IISS office, located in suite SSB 1203, or by calling 281-283-2575.