The Oak Room in the John A. Barone Campus Center was transformed into high fashion experience for the Fairfield United Fourth Annual Cultural Fashion and Talent Showcase. With a set up of chairs forming an aisle in the center, this formed the runway for models and participants could give their performances. At the end of the aisle was a piano, which would be used for the first performance of the show. DJ Akash was already blasting music near the left of the entrance with a food table on the right. With hosts Patrick Setiadi ‘20 and Yann Konan ‘20 taking the stage, I took a seat in the front and waited for the fashion show to begin.
The show as a whole was an interesting array of talent. In total, there were five modeling groups, two musical acts, two dancing segments and a skit. A wide array of clubs were involved, such as the South Asian Student Association, Distinguished Gentlemen, Fairfield Alliance, Black Student Union and Remixx with coverage by the Movie Makers Club. The clothing presented at the show showcased the variety of cultures that reside on campus, all vibrant and iconic in appearance. The South Asian Student Association, Distinguished Gentlemen, Fairfield Alliance, and Black Student Union made an especially impressive mark on attendees. The dancing segments were energetic and proved to be quite a display for the audience. The skit that was performed by Performances for Change tackled the idea of abortion in the modern age of political and cultural taboo. Using strong statements, the skit explored the debate of what the mother thinks versus what other people believe about her situation.
During a pause in the show, attendees were encouraged to go to three games set up in tables beside the piano, which was used by student Amka Amgalan to perform Für Elise at the top of the show. The games consisted of a cup stacking challenge, a fishing game, and a flag challenge. While the cup-stacking game is basic and simple as it is, the others have interesting origins. The fishing game takes some inspiration from the Japanese goldfish scooping game, which consists of paper nets to catch goldfish. This game consisted of fake fish for contestants to catch for candy. The flag game was quite interesting, as it tests one’s knowledge of past flags, as some nations have modified their flags over time. If people weren’t up for games, they could also head to the dining table, which housed a variety of cultural foods. Yucca fries, Jamaican beef patties, and beef empanadas are only a few of the selections made available thanks to Sodexo.
At the end of the day, the students provided entertainment that the audience enjoyed. Organized by Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Program Coordinator Asha Perry, performers were able to host a well-thought event with their ideas and backgrounds. When the event finally finished, the audience was welcome to take on the room as a free dance as well continuing to play games. I left the Oak Room at the conclusion, reflecting on how well-represented minorities in Fairfield’s community are.
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