Ali Fernand – Features Editor
Students on campus were offered a space to get work done and enjoy some hot tea. The Asian Culture Society held this on the third floor of the Adanti Student Center.
“It’s a study session for people to come to work and get a quiet space,” said Co-President of the Asian Culture Society, Jen Ng, a junior.
The study session was open to all students on campus. They did not need to be a member of the Asian Culture Society to participate.
There were tables and chairs set up for students to work on. The tables were pushed together, so students could socialize as they put a dent in their workload.
“Everyone can bring homework that they want to do and have a chill night,” said Secretary of the Asian Culture Society, Pauline Dianne Markinano, a junior.
The members of the club played soft pop music as students worked on their laptops. Many of the tunes were by Asian artists. This included artists like Niki and Miki Matsubara.
This event was the first event that Asian Culture Society held this semester. They are just beginning to establish themselves on campus.
“The Asian Culture Society is very new,” said Ng. “It has existed for less than a year.”
Asian students have been putting in effort to get representation on campus. The Asian Culture Society represents every person of any Asian descent.
“It is an offspring of what used to be the Chinese Student Association,” said Ng. “It was not inclusive to all Asian countries.”
Having a club just to represent Chinese culture excluded those who were of other Asian descent. The Asian Culture Society seeks to represent those who were not represented before.
“It’s nice to be able to talk to other people and not feel alone,” said member of the Asian Culture Society, Eiruelle Pendon a first-year Healthcare Studies student. “I’m glad I can relate to people at Southern.”
As a first-year student, Pendon has been able to get involved by embracing her culture. She has been able to connect with students that have a similar background to hers.
“Since I come from a predominantly white town, it is nice to see my community come together,” said Pendon.
The Asian Culture Society and other cultural organizations on campus have been able to provide students with solidarity. They are encouraged to embrace their culture instead of being made to feel disconnected from it.
“If they don’t feel as connected to their culture, as I do sometimes, they have a place to know that you are Asian enough,” said Ng. “Being Asian isn’t bad.”
Their main goal is to create community for Asian students on campus. They do this by holding different events and meetings for both members and non-members.
However, students shouldn’t be discouraged from being able to attend these events.
“We branch out to everyone who is of Asian descent on campus,” said Markinano. “You don’t even have to be Asian.”
The events are open to any student willing to learn more about both their own culture and/or someone else’s.
Asian Culture Society is not the only organization that exists for students looking to embrace other cultures. The university hosts many other clubs to represent the variety of cultures of students on campus. The Multicultural Center (MCC) is the host organization for the cultural clubs.
“I really love all of the clubs that are tied to MCC,” said Markinano. “Like CSA, OLAS and I can’t wait for what our club can do in the future.”
The Caribbean Student Association (CSA) and the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) are other cultural organizations for students on campus. They have existed longer than the Asian Cultural Society, so they are able to look to look to them for support.
“I’m glad Southern has clubs like the Multicultural Center to represent groups that might not be seen as often,” said Pendon. “It’s exciting to see a school like this is so Social Justice oriented.”
