On a free Thursday evening, (well as free as an engineering student can be), venturing outside the sacred halls of engineer-dom to experience the rest of Waterloo is a fine way to use up disposable time. On one particular Thursday (being March 11th), One Waterloo hosted the Cultural Caravan as the grand finale of the week-long International Celebrations. The show boasted great music, dancing, singing and spoken word recitals. Many students, including some from engineering , participated in this lively event.
The event (which took place in the SLC Great Hall) was packed with stalls of foods and prizes to promote the various clubs/groups on campus. While the booths were lined along the periphery of the hall, the centre of the hall was filled with hundreds of chairs; which proved inadequate given the massive crowd. The emcees of the night presented each group with enthusiasm and interacted with members of the show; the ambiance was such that random audience members jumped on stage to introduce acts they were passionate about.
Within the first five minutes of the show, the atmosphere was electric! Everyone who came out to support their peers was loud, adoring and eager to see the various acts. A special mention must be made to the Middle Eastern posse that was by fair the loudest when the group, SFPA (Students for Palestinian Rights), took to the stage for a traditional dance piece.
The dances (being the majority of performances in the show) were incredible with every act offering something unique to the success of the show. The dance presented by LASA (Latin America Student Association) was expertly choreographed to ooze heat and spice while WATSA (Waterloo Tamil Students Associations) performed a rhythmic mix of South Asian dance styles.
Many exceptional dancers, singers, violinists and bands also made lasting impressions on the audience with their energy. Many of the acts got the audience to stand up, sing along and clap to the music as they performed. A notable highlight was Andrew the violinist, who performed a catchy Irish folk tune that immediately got the audience screaming and clapping along with the song.
Personally, my favourite performances included the Michael Jackson tribute number by UW BASE (Black Association for Student Expression), the UW ISA (Ismaili Students Associations) breath-taking mix of belly dancing, Bollywood and classical dance styles, and the skit/dance act performed by ACS (Association of Caribbean Students).
The most anticipated event during International Celebrations was deemed a huge success. Not only were the groups’ pieces fantastic, the ambiance created by friends, club members and other UW students made the show all the more exciting. The entire week helped UW students recognize and enjoy the diverse backgrounds that their peers had to offer. One Waterloo, you’ve really outdone yourselves with this one!
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