In honor of Black History Month, the West Indian Student Organization at Seton Hall hosted their “Island Legacies” event to showcase West Indian culture, food and historical figures on Feb. 19.
The event was held in the Inclusion Room in the University Center and had an educational segment accompanied by authentic Caribbean cuisine from local restaurants and some trivia questions with a very special prize. The purpose of this event was to highlight West Indian culture and events to the audience. This event was open to all students, faculty, and staff but mainly to target members who consistently attend events.
Dannell Smith, a junior psychology major, and WISO president, talked about the inspiration for this event to happen.
“During Black History Month, we aimed to host an educational event that blends learning with enjoyment for our attendees, featuring Caribbean cuisine and music,” Smith said.
He said emphasizing the significance of showcasing the depth of Caribbean culture and history, particularly aspects that might be less familiar to others, is crucial to us.
Kezia Seales, a sophomore criminal justice major, said the event consisted of a series of slides that contained historical information from different Caribbean countries and was later accompanied by a quiz on the information.
“The winner was awarded a gift card, and all attendees were free to grab a plate of authentic Caribbean cuisine,” she said.
She said that the drive that inspired this event to be hosted is the lack of Caribbean cultural representation during February and the celebration of Black History Month.
The members of the e-board wanted to drive home the not-so-seen aspects of Caribbean culture that aren’t always advertised to the public.
Jaylen Peart, a junior film production major, said the event gave the organization the chance to showcase the importance of Caribbean history as part of our larger history.
“Through this event, we’ve been able to emphasize that WISO is committed to fostering a sense of community among our members, particularly in an environment where they are in the minority,” he said.
He said the aim is not only to educate our members about our culture but also to share our heritage with a broad spectrum of individuals, reaching out to diverse groups of people.
WISO’s purpose of the event was to inform and educate other students on aspects of Caribbean culture shaped by history and welcome them with traditional foods and music. The turnout from this event was the range between 40 to 50 people plus most of the attendees being general body members and cosponsors. All of the board members of this organization wanted to thank everyone who came out to support their events. They also wanted to mention checking out their Instagram and looking out for upcoming events in the next few weeks.
Dana Fialkowski writes for the Setonian’s Campus Life section. She can be reached at dana.fialkowski@student.shu.edu
