More than 70 people gathered in Lee Hall Thursday night to watch the Henderson International Fest Cultural Competition, sponsored by the Mississippi State University Cyber Dawgs.Freshman biological sciences major Leroy Davenport said the group chose Henderson Intermediate School as their service project.
The hallway outside the auditorium was filled with tables decorated with brightly colored pictures and unique items representing the heritage of the different cultural groups.
Men in hot pink and yellow turbans and women dressed in brightly colored, flowing outfits filled the building conversing in foreign languages.
Starkville Mayor Dan Camp welcomed the audience along with assistant dean of students Cade Smith.
Camp said 1,200 to 1,500 students from various countries are represented at MSU.
“I’m a big believer in a multicultural community,” he said.
The wide variety of acts included instrumental music, a fashion show, high-energy Bollywood dance and rap music.
The Association of Chinese Students and Scholars started the show by performing a dance that included many students from Henderson, all clad in red and green silk outfits.
The last of the nine acts was a Bollywood dance with high kicks, fast foot movements and disco-like movements presented by the Indian Student Association.
Senior interdisciplinary studies major Chelvis Childers said he enjoyed the show and that it did not fit any of his preconceived notions.
“I was expecting more traditional music and it all definitely had a modern flare,” he said. “There was way more hip hop influence than I expected in the performance music.”
Almost $1,000 was given out in awards, with ACSS winning third and second prizes for individual performances and the ISA placing.
The best booth and best organization awards also went to ISA.
Money from the Cyber Dawgs budget was used to fund the event.
The team promoted the concept of the International Festival to potential sponsors as a supplement, Davenport said.
“As a whole, this project was made possible with Cyber Dawgs’ funds and support from the Student Association’s International Student Affairs and vice president of student affairs office,” he said.
Freshman computer science major and Cyber Dawgs member Tim Robinson said his favorite part of the festival was the ACSS musical performance.
“I think it is important for students to go to the festival because it helps spread cultural awareness by visually explaining the traditions and values of foreign culture,” he said.
“I think the message that the Cyber Dawgs were trying to send to the viewers was reached by everyone seated in Lee Hall,” Davenport said.
The Cyber Dawgs’ goals for their community service project are to develop a school Web site, school logo, raise funds, identify corporate sponsors, develop promotional video, generate positive publicity to Henderson and bring cultural awareness among the Henderson students he said.