Student Senate Inclusion Committee hosts cultural runway to showcase different Northwest student's cultures

To showcase the diverse student body of Northwest, Student Senate and its Inclusion Committee hosted a Cultural Runway, a clothing showcase representing various cultures on campus.

The event was hosted from 6 to 8 p.m. March 20 at The Station. The Black Student Union, the Indian Student Association and the African Student Organization were the three main cultural Northwest organizations in attendance. The East Asia Organization was invited, but it could not due to a lack of cultural clothing to showcase. Each organization provided cultural wear and showcased them through a fashion show that also fostered trivia and connection.

Student Senate Inclusion Chair Darren Ross said the committee wanted a way to showcase the varying cultures and backgrounds of international and local students. He said the turnout when discussing ideas with the organizations was inviting as the three organizations had other ideas for the event than just the fashion runway. 

“Originally, we wanted all of them to just have a presentation,” Ross said. “It’s actually going to be a lot more informative than we originally planned.”

The Inclusion Committee encouraged the organizations to expand past the fashion show idea. For example, the Indian Student Association performed an Indian dance called Bharatnatyam. Classical dances and art forms in India often tell stories or are linked to spiritual beliefs. Bharatnatyam is known for its graceful movements and strong narratives and characters. 

The Indian Student Association Coordinator Ajit Ubbanapally hosted discussions regarding the wide variety of spoken languages in India like Hindi, Telugu and Gujarati and the vast culture of his country. He said multicultural exchange is key in society and aims to learn about other cultures at the event as well.

“As international students, we all come from our own lives,” Ubbanapally said. “We get to share and we get to interact. We get to exchange and understand about various themes.”

Ubbanapally said Indian people appreciate the integration of cultures and customs that develop the welfare of others and the environment, believing the entire globe is one family. Because of this, Ubbanapally appreciated the opportunity to showcase his culture and history at the Cultural Runway.

“Every country has its own cultural traditions, its own value system,” Ubbanapally said. “These kind of arenas have a place where we can exchange thoughts.”

The event allowed all students to learn and exchange cultural experiences through simple performances of fashion shows and dances. Cultural exchanges have been shown to improve connections, communication and understanding, according to Medium. Forming relationships and experiencing diverse cultures breaks intercultural barriers and harmful stereotypes, one of the biggest barriers in intercultural exchanges.

The African Student Organization President Misturah Hassan said there are many students from various tribes on campus and the runway acted as an outlet for them to share their cultures. 

“We have been particularly happy,” Hassan said. “Many people say they would love to attend to showcase their outfits which is pretty good for something we were doing for the first time.”

Student Senate sponsored the event and expected around 30 attendees. Ross said the Inclusion Committee is planning to make this an annual event due to the high interest. Allowing students the opportunity to embrace their culture and to be proud of their heritage is something Ross aimed to communicate and encourage.

“We wanted to display not only the culture that we represent on campus, but also the different cultures that are here on campus and the way we don't see them,” Ross said. “So, it came from just really wanting to continue that pushing mission to let people know that their voices are not only heard, but also represented.”