Pitt-Bradford will host its annual One World Cultural Festival on
Saturday, Feb. 23, to celebrate the many different cultures represented by the
Pitt-Bradford student body, faculty and staff, and
the surrounding community.
The event, which is open to the
public, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Frame-Westerberg
Commons. This year’s focus is on West African culture, but the event celebrates
the contributions of all cultures and countries during this annual festival of
food, music, dance and costume.
Entertainment will include the
Pitt-Bradford Dance Team in a high-energy performance with a West African
flair, the Pitt-Bradford Diamond Steppers performing a distinctive style of
rhythmic dancing and the Dance and Drum Performance Company from the African
American Cultural Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
The company has developed under the
direction of West African cultural artists and the influence of African
American pioneers in the dance genre. Senegalese nationals have contributed to
the growth of the company, and its repertoire has been compiled with attention
to the influence of American choreographers Katherine Dunham and Pearl Primus,
among others.
The company has performed before an
estimated 200,000 people in New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Ontario.
The festival also features an
international sampling buffet, activity booths and an international fashion
show with students modeling clothing from Cameroon and Nigeria as well as from
countries in Asia, South America and Europe and those of some Native American
peoples.
A variety of booths will allow
visitors to sample more international foods and take part in hands-on
demonstrations. Booths open at 6:30 p.m., and the buffet opens at 7 p.m. Dinner
is $5 or the donation of a dish to pass.
Three students who traveled abroad
last year as Vira Heinz Scholars have created a diversity quilt in conjunction
with Bradford Area High School students that will be auctioned off to benefit
Kiva, a nonprofit organization that lends small amounts of money to people in
poverty to improve their lives.
The students will present a video
about their project and take bids through a silent auction. More information on
their project is available on Facebook under the name “Women for Women.”
The Cultural Festival first began as a student
celebration of Black History Month initiated by the Black Action Committee in
the mid-1990s. It has grown to become one of the most highly anticipated
university events of the year, bringing together students, faculty, staff and community
members of all ages and backgrounds.
In
addition to the festival steering committee, this year’s contributors include
the Office of the President, Panthers Around the World, Behavioral and Social
Sciences Division, Communication and the Arts Division, Biological and Health
Sciences Division, Physical and Computational Sciences Division, Academic
Affairs, Student Affairs, Management and Education Division, Metz and
Associates, Nontraditional Student Association, Student Activities Council,
Student Government Association and Study Abroad and International Studies.
For disability related needs, contact the Office of Disability Resources and
Services at 814-362-7609 or clh71@pitt.edu.
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