By Lexi White
Features Editor
photo | lily rand
Psychology major Jenna Rodriguez and nursing majors Arielle Vance and Dayanara Evans, freshmen, honoring their heritage at the Rep Your Flag event.
As the semester progresses, the stress students face with their studies becomes more prominent. To escape from their academic worries, students spent their night filled with dancing, good vibes and Caribbean culture.
The Caribbean Student Association, CSA, held their annual Rep Your Flag event on Thursday, Oct. 3 in the Adanti Student Center to celebrate Caribbean heritage.
CSA President and psychology major Trician Johnson, a junior, said that their motto is: divided by water, united by culture.
Johnson said she wanted to bring students together by making this year’s celebration their best one yet.
Johnson said, “We have our dance team performing their first dance of the semester, and they’ve worked so hard to make sure they put on a great performance.”
Johnson has been involved in CSA since she was a freshman and said that being a part of the organization has helped her become who she is today.
“I’ve come out of my shell a lot since being involved in this,” Johnson said. “I used to be very introverted, but now I am extroverted, and I got way better at public speaking.”
By expressing her true self, Johnson said that she found the people who truly support her and that will always have her back.
“Our group and this event bring so many people together, regardless of if they are from the Caribbean,” Johnson said.
Psychology major Brunel Luxama, a sophomore, was another member of CSA who helped put this party together. Luxama said that as the CSA secretary, he feels responsible for bringing more people to the event because he wants to showcase what the organization has to offer.
“We all share the same kind of background and morals, so I am really happy to call this my home away from home,” Johnson said. “I want to show the people who are here that aren’t a part of CSA that we know how to have a good time, but also that we can help educate you on your background.”
Art and design major Kayla Desmond, a junior, was one of the students who attended the celebration.
Desmond transferred to the university at the start of the semester and wanted to come to the event to meet new people and broaden her horizons.
“I’ve never been to an event on campus like this before, but I’m hoping I can see some new faces and become friends with people other than my roommates,” Desmond said.
While Desmond did not know what to expect, she knew that CSA’s commemoration was a great way for her to get to know the community.
Desmond said, “It’s good to know that there are people that look like you and have the same experiences as you in the same place.”
Psychology major Leticia Asante, a sophomore, was another student who enjoyed the event. She said that her favorite part of the event was seeing the dance team perform.
“They were amazingly talented. I have never seen dance like that before,” Asante said. “I love how they expressed and represented their culture.”
VOL. 64- ISSUE 5
