By: Jonathan Moran
Staff Writer
Caribbean Day was a celebration that brought the spirit and energy of the Caribbean to ODU. It was held on Feb. 24 and organized by the African Caribbean Association (ACA). The events lasted all day and brought a tropical festivity to the Webb.
The events began during Activity Hour with the Caribbean Knowledge Fair, held near the Starbucks in the Webb. Posters were set up about each Caribbean island with facts about the islands’ government, economics, history and people. The point of the posters, said ACA member Fatima Bangura, was to “let people know about the different cultures of the Caribbean.” She said people see it as one big culture but there are many different islands with their own unique traditions and histories. The posters were a way to inform curious students about each country.
There were also posters on music from the Caribbean. These posters told the origins of reggae, soca, calypso, steelpan, salsa and meringue. Music is a huge part of the culture and while students were going from poster to poster, DJ Rek One played a mix of reggae, dance hall and other types of upbeat music. Students studying were swaying in their chairs and tapping their feet to the beat. The others that were looking at the posters were bouncing their shoulders and bobbing their heads to the rhythm in the background.
In the evening, students were treated to a night of food and music with the event “A Taste of the Caribbean.” A buffet was set up with Caribbean food and a steelpan band performed while everyone ate. There was Jamaican jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, fried plantains, curry sauce, rice with peas and other delicious entrées that were quickly devoured by everyone attending. Joe Vivirito of Aramark helped set up the buffet and said the most popular dish had to be the Jamaican jerk chicken. Other favorite dishes included the coconut shrimp and the fried plantains. It seemed that the least favorite was the boiled cabbage.
Sophomore Kara Kimble was enjoying herself at the event. “The food is good and the steel drums are awesome.” This was her first time trying jerk chicken and she said, “It was delicious.” Senior Nikki Mathews came to the event to do a paper and was also enjoying herself. “It’s interesting. I really don’t know much about the culture and it’s nice to sit back and watch.” Her favorite part of the night was the music.
The steelpan band performing was the Mosaic Steel Orchestra led by Dr. Anthony Hailey. They are from Multi-Cultural Performing Arts Consulting of Virginia or MPAC, a non-profit organization in Hampton Roads dedicated to teaching world music and performing arts to the youth of Hampton Roads. They played a range of songs, from traditional calypso to Eric Clapton’s “Change the World” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” These classic tunes were fun to hear with the Caribbean sound of the steel drum and made everyone smile.
The events on Caribbean Day were a great way to teach people about Caribbean culture. There was information, but also a chance to eat traditional food and listen to music unique to that region. Food and music are parts of a culture that most people can take part in. It provide a way for ODU students to enjoy the vibrant, festive culture of the Caribbean.
Photo by: Rushura Jones
