Hey ya’ll just checking in quick before my reading break officially kicks off tomorrow! So what is the Harlem Shake you ask? It’s basically a dance that was created and uploaded to the internet about 3 weeks ago, featuring an excerpt from the song “Harlem Shake” by electronic musician Baauer. Once it hit YouTube and Facebook the dance went viral and especially when universities across North America decided to reenact it.
So if you haven’t already seen UBC’s version of the Harlem Shake, check it out here:
2 days ago I had the pleasure of attending the first annual Cultural Night organized and hosted by UBC’s very own ISAS (International Students Association of Sauder). You can bet that an event with a cultural undertone will always spark my interest, so when I discovered Cultural Night I had to go. There is something very humbling and grounding when you are surrounded by people from all over the world. Teaching, learning, and gaining from others is an enriching experience and you really have that opportunity at UBC, you just have to find them. So in short, I got dressed up and headed over to the Sauder (UBC’s school of business) building where they had set up an elegant red carpet for the upcoming fashion show and multicultural performances for Cultural Night.
The night started off with an entertaining hip hop routine and was followed by a fusion of traditional Indian and Chinese attire in the fashion show. There was also a traditional Persian music performance, a really entertaining and energetic Bollywood dance, an accapella ensemble, K-ware (korean pop dancing) and even a belly dancer! Not to mention the DJ of the night, who kept the mood alive. I was even tempted to ‘Shazam’ all of the songs (Shazam= IPhone’s application for detecting unknown songs).
Overall, the night was fun and entertaining and I am excited that I was able to be a part of it. Organizations like ISAS who put on shows like this are really striving to encourage cultural awareness and embrace cultural difference. Being a part of the UBC community has taught me to embrace my own ethnicity and those of others. I had always been aware of this great diversity on campus, but I had never truly been educated on the different aspects of those cultures. UBC provides many other opportunities like this one for students to get involved, experience something new, and have fun, you just have to be willing!
So who am I? "That's a secret I'll never tell...."
Just kidding I'm not Gossip Girl. I'm Glenn (no that's not short for anything and yes, I am a girl) and I am a first year Arts student studying visual arts @ UBC. Traveling all the way from a small town in Ontario, I am here to share my personal experiences with you as I try to find my way through all the wonderful chaos university has to offer! Stay tuned.
