The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center Thursday hosted Cultural Catwalk, an international fashion show that brought students from a variety of cultures together at Lee Hall Auditorium. The program involved various organizations across campus, including international student affairs, Black Student Alliance, Indian Student Alliance, Models of Distinction, Fashion Board, Chinese Student Alliance and the Student Association. Each organization presented food, musical performances or a fashion show. Each group was asked to represent its unique culture and heritage in the show.
Jaimee Saxton, president of Peer Counselors and Ambassadors, said her hope for the program was to get different student groups involved so that students of all cultures could enjoy other traditions and styles.
“We basically try to get different student associations together to experience different cultures so that these cultures can have more of a presence on campus,” she said. “Our hope and purpose is to introduce people to diverse things.”
Saxton said the fashion show has been an event for three years.
“We try to make it better each year, and the past two years were great examples to work from,” she said.
In order to create the fashion show, Saxton said the Peer Counselors and Ambassadors of MSU contact different student groups and ask them to bring in examples of their own respective fashions and cultures.
Sharya Naqvi, director of international student affairs, said his main goal for the show was to bring majority and minority students together to enjoy other cultures and have them interact with international students.
“Bringing students together is one of the main purposes of the cultural diversity center, peer counselors and ambassadors and international student affairs,” he said.
He said he believes that when groups come together for a common purpose, they will learn to respect one another.
“Our whole agenda is to try and get as many diverse groups together to learn with each other,” he said. “If we’re the future and we can get along with each other at this stage, then when we’re business people and lawyers, entrepreneurs, engineers and so forth … at that level we’re all more comfortable with each other.”
Mariah White, program coordinator for the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, said that the program was a great opportunity to showcase the many different organizations and groups on campus. By holding a fashion show, she said she believes that more students will be interested and attend.
“A lot of times, when you just have programs full of conversation and dialogue, you find it difficult to keep attention, but people love fashion. It’s a great way to get people to come and see what our organization is all about,” White said.
The program also contained music and dance.
“Music also has a connection all over the world,” White said. “The fashion show allows the different cultures to showcase their music, and people love music and people love fashion. It’s a great way for people to come together and respect one another.