Oxnard College welcomed thousands of students, community members, vendors, and local-area high school students to their annual Multicultural Day last Thursday to celebrate the diversity present in their community.
Diva Ward, Multicultural Day coordinator, worked vigorously to make sure this was a successful event. The festivities united the surrounding community with the student body and offered visitors a glimpse into the different cultures from around the world
“Our goal this year was to share the culture of the community with attendees and provide high school students with information about Oxnard College,” said Ward. “Attendance was fantastic—we had great vendor presence and incredible student participation.”
Live performances, food samplings, workshops, presentations and various activities, made for plenty of opportunities for students and visitors to participate in.
Flags from nations around the world adorned the campus and flanked the various vendor, club and business booths. The Shen Chun Do club garnered steady crowds throughout the day with their enticing music and various martial arts routines.
Kiara Hodges, 20-year-old psychology major, enjoyed the martial arts performances the most.
“Martial arts is the best,” said Hodges. “[The performances] really show a lot of the cultural backgrounds of the students.”
Out of breath and pausing to catch some air, Shen Chun Do club president, Mario Cesar Cardona enjoyed the attention his club received.
“It is physically draining as we have to respond to random angles of attack,” said Cardona. “Our routines are not choreographed.”
High school students also enjoyed the atmosphere at the college. Senior students from the seven local area high schools were in attendance to learn more about the college and participate in workshops to increase their awareness about the community college experience.
Terry Redmond, transfer counselor at OC, enjoyed the presence of the high school population.
“With high school students present, we can market our college now for them to consider later,” said Redmond. “We give these students the proper advice and guide them with the enrollment process.”
Students filled the student services walkway as they stopped to glance at items for sale at vendor tables that included traditional Mexican zarapes, Indian handcrafted jewelry and other knickknacks from cultures around the globe.
Attendees also sampled diverse food ranging from Mexican to Brazilian cuisine, many of whom stopped to indulge in the rich-smelling Mexican cuisine offerings of the campus club, MEChA.
At the MEChA food stand, club volunteers shared their success in selling out of tamales and nachos. The profit earned from the food sale will fund a trip for four of their members to a National MEChA Conference in Wisconsin later this year.
Competing high school bands filled the airwaves with familiar melodies as they performed their practice routines. Marjorie Price, dean of Liberal Studies, listened in admiration.
“There’s a lot going on, a lot of excitement,” said Price. “A little something for everyone.”
The OC Ballet Folklórico presentation, which was performed later in the day, mesmerized the audience with the swaying of vibrant and colorful dresses. Highland bagpipe music resonated strongly as it accompanied Scottish highland dancing from Joy MacKinnon’s Dance Academy that wrapped up the long day of cultural festivities.
OC President Dr. Richard Durán, was pleased with the successful turnout of the event. Durán also commented that the various multicultural performances were a great way to keep students engaged throughout the day.
“This event really showed the flavor of what our community is all about” said Duran.
Ivan Bautista displays how he weaves a blanket at the Spring 2011 Multicultural Day at Oxnard College. (Photo by Chad Jones)
