After a long week of classes, Quinnipiac students spread out on the Quad to meet new people and embrace diversity at the Culture Fair on Friday, Sept. 20.

“It’s all multicultural organizations here and we’re trying to get our organizations out there so other students on campus can see what we’re about,” Cassandra Reyes, senior physical therapy major and treasurer of the Latino Cultural Society said.

[media-credit id=2261 align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]The Culture Fair was an opportunity for multicultural organizations on campus to show off their clubs and recruit new members.

The fair included multicultural organizations’ tables, food trucks, inflatables and trampolines. With the never-ending line for the sushi truck and free Ben and Jerry’s, the organizations aimed to make the event informative and enjoyable.

Not only did the organizations get to promote their clubs, but the attendees got to explore the multicultural side of Quinnipiac in a relaxing, tight-knit environment.

“This gives it a special, more intimate setting where people can actually come out and engage with the multicultural orgs that they may not have been able to during the involvement fair,” Mike Ruta, a senior film major, said.

Ruta represented the Italian Cultural Society at the fair. This was one of many clubs that attended the event, all with a similar goal in mind.

Reyes said that the multicultural organizations bring diversity to campus, and it is important to educate students on the clubs that aim to embrace culture. She said that each organization is welcoming to everyone, even if you are not a part of that culture.

“A lot of students here that are in the multicultural orgs are from minorities so it’s good to show our faces and invite other people to come and join and see our culture and what we’re about,” Reyes said.

Organizers noted that students don’t have to be an expert on the culture in order to join a multicultural organization.

“A lot of times we really emphasize that you don’t need to be that culture or be experienced with that culture in order to be part of the club and to enjoy it,” Megan Winslow, a senior biology major, said.

After learning from the various organizations, the attendees picked up on the idea of inclusivity.

“I signed up for Asian Club, I’m not even Asian,” Maureen Okang, a freshman biology major, said. “It’s a good way to get involved with other clubs and see the influence that they have on campus,”

There was a conistent flow of students coming in and out throughout the day. For a Friday evening, organization representatives said they were pleased with the turnout.

However, the students in attendance said that they felt with more advertising for the event, they could have created a bigger crowd with more attendees.

“All I saw was a notification on Instagram,” Okang said. “I don’t think that was enough. I think more should be done to promote this event, because it’s actually really good.”

If the university puts on the Culture Fair next year, using email reminders to advertise the event could create a larger attendance Okang said.

Overall, the Culture Fair highlighted the importance of diversity on campus. 

“We really encourage people from any walk of life to come in and enjoy our events or come to our meetings and just kind of see what its about and I see that a lot with all of the multicultural organizations,” Winslow said.

Not only did the organizations get their message out, but some students said it really made a difference to listen to what the groups had to say.

“It’s overall just important to embrace diversity and how different we all are because honestly sometimes our differences can bring us together,” Okang said.