The Ethnic Student Council (ESC) hosted its annual Unity Showcase on Friday, April 13 in Canavan Arena. The Ethnic Student Council is a subcommittee and a Registered Student Organization (RSO) encompassing cultural RSOs. The showcase is each RSO’s opportunity to present aspects of their culture relating to the year’s theme. This year’s theme was “Speak My Language” and featured skits and musical performances from the Latin American Association (LAA), Filipino Association of Stevens Tech (FAST), Chinese Student Association (CSA), Korean Student Association (KSA), Indian Undergraduate Association (IUA), and Black Student Union (BSU).
The purpose of Unity is for the clubs to “showcase and educate [others] about their culture,” according to Karen Kong, Vice President of ESC. The theme is generally “relevant to current world events,” she explained, and most of the performances are cultural and often include dance numbers.
After all the organizations perform, awards are given out. The ones directly related to the showcase performance were the People’s Choice, Relevance to Theme, and Best in Show. All three were awarded to BSU; members of the organization danced and recited poetry that they wrote themselves. The other two awards were Most Improved [Organization] which went to CSA and Most Active [Organization] which went to IUA. Judges included Vanessa Falco from the STEP office, Assistant Director of Admissions Yajaira Pons, Diversity Educator Jacquis Watters, and Desiree Batista, a Stevens alum and former ESC president.
The show requires a lot of work from both the ESC E-Board side and cultural RSO side.”We spend a lot of time planning and organizing,” Kong explained, “and they spend a ton of time writing [scripts], recording, and practicing.” She also emphasized that despite the amount of work that needs to be put in to make it happen, it’s “worth it” because of the “great performances that engage the entire campus with the rich and diverse cultures [they] represent.” She also added that it creates a platform for the cultural RSOs to creatively express themselves and their experiences.
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