With rain clouds looming overhead, Moorpark College’s 15th annual Multicultural Day pressed on as campus organizations set out to educate and entertain through this year’s theme of, “An International Masterpiece.”
The free event welcomed students and community members who witnessed performances ranging from an Afro Brazilian dance performed by the Viver Brasil Dance Company to Japanese papermaking presented by Peggy Hasegawa.
“I feel certain you and your students will benefit from attending the various events on Multicultural Day,” said Moorpark College President Dr. Eva Conrad, as she addressed Moorpark’s teaching faculty through a press release.
The “alternate day of instruction,” as Conrad has labeled the event, typically lasts from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., but ended this year with a lecture given by world-renowned anthropologist Brian Fagan.
This year’s Multicultural Day Planning Committee co-chairs Linda Loiselle, Cynthia Barnett and Sally Ponce O’Rourke helped formulate this year’s event. Formed in 1990, Multicultural Day is the brainchild of Moorpark College Professor Ranford Hopkins and retired Moorpark CollegeProfessor Bruce Garber.
A multitude of cultures were on display through a mélange of activities, lectures, and performances with topics such as Chinese culture, which was a lecture on a family’s migration to the United States in the 1930s. The lecture given by Moorpark College’s own Vice President Pam Eddinger followed the path of a family’s journey through her presentation entitled, “One Family, Four Nations: The Tangled Web of Immigration.” The campus wide event also hosted Belly Dance Fusion, hosted by NEMA
The performance took place in the Performing Arts Center and combined a mix of Turkish, Indian, African, Polynesian and Modern American cultures. Just as regions from around the world were represented at Multicultural Day through food, dance, and music, some of America’s musical roots were on display as well with a spirited gospel performance by Musicians in Praise, sponsored by Moorpark College’s own Multicultural Club.
“By understanding one another’s cultures and each other, we’d be taking steps toward negating some of the problems that exist today,” said Hopkins.
As students feasted their senses on myriad sounds, tastes and perspectives from around the world, they were left with a lasting impression that the Moorpark College campus community will hope to bring back all over again next year.
“Multicultural Day is the greatest opportunity for learning about other cultures and experiencing world views in a single setting imaginable,” Hopkins concluded.
(Shad Hopkins)
Right, Dani Lunn performs an Afro Brazilian dance in the studio theater. Center, from left to right Musicians in Praise Gospel (Joe Wilcots)
