On Wednesday, October, 3rd, Bentley’s Cape Verdean Student Association (CVSA) held its third annual “Island in a Jar” event. To learn more about this incredibly successful event and organization, Sydney Gonsalves, president of the CVSA, answered some questions about what it means to be a member of the CVSA.
What was the purpose of an “Island in a Jar” event? We wanted our general body to have a fun, engaging activity that would help some of the stress from midterms, but also teach them a little more about Cape Verdean culture.
What did you hope participants would take away from the event? Well besides a physical island in a jar, we wanted participants to know a little more about Cape Verde, our culture, as well as more about our e-board. Island in a Jar is very laid-back event and the e-board gets to interact with general body members individually. It's a great opportunity to know more about each other and create connections.
Where did the inspiration for an “Island in a Jar” event come from? Island in a Jar was actually started two years ago and we saw it was our most popular event. We kind of took inspiration from TNT's DIY events. Those events are always so popular and engaging but run out of supplies quickly. We wanted to do something similar, but put our own twist on it. That's when we came up with the idea of island in a jar! Cape Verde is an archipelago of 10 really small islands, so we thought the idea fit perfectly to represent CVSA.
What is the mission of the CVSA? Per our constitution, "We, the Executive Board of the Cape Verdean Student Association, choose to promote and preserve the Cape Verdean culture and heritage here at Bentley University through educational fundamentals, such as discussion panels and lectures, and through social proceedings, such as cultural events and festivities. Also, we shall make a strong commitment to visit local high schools in an effort to actively recruit Cape Verdeans students to continue our legacy on campus. We will accomplish this through maintaining a strong and enduring relationship with the MCC and STEP program." Not many people know about Cape Verde, but we are a very proud people who want others to know about us! We have a very unique culture that we want Bentley to know about. Additionally, we want to use our positions at Bentley to better communities around us, as well as Cape Verdean communities.
How can students learn more about joining CVSA? We are always looking for students to join both our e-board and general body! They can follow us on Instagram @cvsabentley or email us directly at GA_CVSA@bentley.edu. Our e-board members are always repping CVSA outside of our events, inside classrooms and panels. So, if you happen to run across one of us, come up to us and talk! We all love meeting new people.
Does the CVSA have any upcoming opportunities for students to get involved? Yes, but we can't spill the details yet. You'll just have to stay tuned!
A huge thanks to Sydney and the rest of the CVSA for an awesome event!
Be sure to check out SP&E’s monthly calendars to learn more about upcoming events from the Cape Verdean Student Association and other orgs on campus at https://www.bentleyspeak.com/!
