In order to celebrate diversity through the many Caribbean cultures represented on college campuses, Bentley’s Caribbean Ancestry Student
Association (CASA) held its Second Annual Culture Fest on Friday, April 5th. Featuring various cultural aspects such as singing, dancing, and more, CASA created an inclusive event to be enjoyed by all across the Bentley community. Cendy Moliere, President of CASA, answered a few questions about the Second Annual Culture Fest, as well as about her involvement in CASA:
What was the inspiration behind the Culture Fest?
“The inspiration behind CASA Cultural Showcase was to share the many talents of Bentley students as well as from other nearby colleges to see all that our organization has to offer. This event also serves as a great way to network with other schools especially since many don't know that our club exists here, leading us to build a better presence amongst other nearby schools.”
What does CASA hope to achieve with making this an annual tradition?
“With this event we hope to provide Bentley students with exposure to the culture and diversity of Caribbean Countries through food, clothing, and music. This event is part of our Cultural Week Celebration which consists of the Annual Showcase, an After Party, and a Caribbean Museum.”
What did you look for when accepting performers for the event?
“When accepting performers for this event we looked for groups that were passionate about spreading awareness about Caribbean culture in their school and communities. We made sure we not only had outside universities and colleges, but we also had local fashion designers that work hard everyday to showcase Caribbean culture through their pieces.”
What did you hope the audience would get out of these performances?
“With this event we hope the audience would get a chance to experience a few talents from various Caribbean countries.”
What cultures and schools were represented with these performances?
Bentley University:
Nedjie Thompson
Javier Rivera
Vanessa Ly
UMass Boston: Haitian American Student Association Dance Team—Touche’m Dous.
Tufts University: Roti & Rum’s Caribbean Dance Team
Naika Console—Haitian Dancer
Khalima Loops—Local Fashion Designer of Limaloops
KSean Burrell—Fashion Designer of Mas n’ Motion
What do you love most about being a part of this organization?
“I love how close we are as a team and how well we work together. Everyone is always supportive of each other and we all get along so well. It is clear that everyone on the team is very passionate about the org as a whole, and we are all excited to see how CASA will develop in the future.”
How can prospective students learn more about joining CASA?
“Students are welcomed to follow us on Instagram (@casa_bentley) or reach out to us via email GA_CASA@bentley.edu for more information.”
Congrats to CASA for a great event! A big thank you to Cendy Moliere for her help and for being such a great student leader on campus!