Madison College students came together with an event planned by students, for students and hosted by students to experience diverse cultures.  

On March 9, students came together in person once again to be part of the Global Showcase. After last year’s event being online, students had the opportunity to come together to dance, laugh and be part of one-of-a-kind events. 

Madison College, unique for being a diverse and community-based college, hosted their 13th annual Global Showcase event in person. It was organized by students from the United Common Grounds (UCG) and La Raza to immerse students into other cultures around the world.  

“Global Showcase is an opportunity to learn and get an experience of many diverse cultures. As well as learning about different organizations that will help or inspire you,” said Lilia Romero, secretary of La Raza and master of ceremony of the Global Showcase. 

The Global Showcase event was held at the Madison College Truax Campus in room D1630. 

It started with drummers from World Drumming Ensemble. Marching from the Interculture Exchange (IE)  room, the drummers filled the front of student life and the cafeteria with rhythmic beats.  

“The timing of the event was difficult, as this event normally happens in the fall semester,” said Morgan Michaels, Student Support assistant of the IE. “There was a quick turnaround once the spring semester started, so it was ‘all hands-on deck’ in the IE and the CIE [Center for International Education] … We were lucky to have amazing performances in the end!” 

From the IE to room D1630, the students were greeted by fellow students as they walked up on stage. MC Kylie Philips and Lilia Romero greeted both spectators and performers. 

After the performance of World Drumming Ensemble, MCs of the event as well as students and staff welcomed Tania Tandias.  

Tandias, a Spanish dancer, captivated audience with her gorgeous flamenco dance. Flamenco dancing is a Spanish dance that is a style that preformed with flamenco music, which tends to be rhythmical and accompanied by guitar, singing and dancing.  

Tandias also encouraged students on campus to join in on the flamenco dancing. Students got up from their seats and learned how to dance the folklore dance, as the audience was also engaged. 

Up next students, staff and the MCs welcomed Vivid Dance Crew, a student K-Pop Dance group.  

Attendees could get food the culinary student made as well as visit booths with student led organizations. Students had the opportunity to try diverse types of food like Thai curry and Italian coconut macaroon, among other foods and drink.  

For students on both sides of the screen, there was a chance to play GeoGuesser. Students that ran the event had to figure out a way to accommodate students who were not able to attend.  

“We were able to livestream the first hour of the event, which included our amazing performances. Livestreams are often tricky to conduct, but I want to give a shout out to the Student Life Personnel who assured me that the web cam angles were adequate!” Michaels said. 

For students on campus, they had fun activities like virtual reality, a spinning wheel to win fun prizes, as well as a fashion show in which students got to see the distinct lifestyle.  

The event let students learn more about what Madison College had to offer. High school students from La Raza learned about Madison College’s annual event and helped set up the event. 

As with any other events, organizing can be difficult, with students balancing school, event planning and work. From organizing the setup of the room, to working with custodial services, to reaching out to performers, the event was run and organized by students. 

“There were times when the path was bumpy but United Common Ground members did a great job. United Common Ground students have had classes and the event took place during the midterm week which made it a bit tricky timing-wise of having the event set up,” said Nasteha Sahal, Fashion Show Coordinator. 

Romero said, “The biggest success that I personally think, is that we all learned something new and made new friends as well as having fun… Especially during the event, there were many opportunities to sponsor organizations and invite high schoolers to see what college events are like. But it was a fun opportunity especially when you feel like you are a part of something new!”