UPB to Hold Annual Cultural Festival

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will hold its annual “One World” Cultural Festival Saturday, February 27, celebrating the many different cultures represented by Pitt-Bradford students, faculty, staff and the community.

The event, which is open to the public, will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Frame-Westerberg Commons.

Pittsburgh’s Irish Gaelic music group Hooley will headline this year’s festivities, which will focus on Celtic culture but celebrate the contributions of all cultures and countries during this festival of food, music, song, dance and costume. The event will also showcase displays from students and faculty, as well as food and entertainment from different cultures.

All attendees are asked to bring canned goods to support Students in Free Enterprise’s Can Hunger campaign in conjunction with Campbell Soup Co.

A large sampling buffet of international dishes created by Pitt-Bradford faculty, staff and guests will be included along with other international foods from local restaurants. Admission to the international buffet is a dish to pass or a $5 donation.

“The Cultural Festival is an annual event embraced by the entire campus and surrounding community. It is a celebration of the highest order,” said Dr. Holly J. Spittler, associate dean of student affairs and co-chairperson of the Cultural Festival steering committee.

A collection of Pittsburgh’s finest traditional Irish musicians, Hooley will perform in the Mukaiyama University Room. Hooley, meaning “good time” or “party” in Irish Gaelic, plays traditional and original Irish instrumentals and songs ranging from slow airs and O’Carolan tunes to lively jigs and reels, often accompanied by hard- and soft-shoe Irish step dancing.

Hooley has performed at concert halls, festivals, colleges, and folk clubs for céilis (dances) throughout western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia since 1991. Hooley released its first recording, “Cuts from the Turf,” in 2001 to favorable reviews and air play from as far away as New York City and Winnipeg.

Along with the musical entertainment, several student organizations and groups will present international displays, including the Peace Corps, basket weaving, African-American heritage, study-abroad programs, Asia, South Korea, Celtic culture, Tartans of the British Isles, South Korea, Taste of the World, Native American drumming, Japanese Go Game demonstration, the warrior bards of Ireland, face painting and Japanese masks and Manga faces, sushi, Ireland and the customs of Scandinavia.

The entertainment will begin with an opening Parade of Nations that will showcase students wearing outfits representing numerous cultures. Morgan Kinville, a Pitt-Bradford student, will demonstrate aspects of Irish step dancing.

Alicia Pugh, Stefania Okolie, and Nick Olumese will dance to “Gwada,” a song written by Jesses Matador in the Nigerian hip-hop tradition. Andrew Hwang, Lyndon Orinion and Marco Dominguez will perform a contemporary Korean dance.

The Pitt-Bradford Diamond Steppers will take the stage to put on a display of African-American step-dancing. Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant’s entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word and hand claps.

The Commons Café will also be decorated with flags representing the nations Pitt-Bradford students call home. This year, the flags represent the nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Canada, Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Senegal, Singapore, Sudan, United States, Vietnam, and the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The Cultural Festival first began as a student celebration of Black History Month initiated by the Black Action Committee in the mid-90s. Since its inception, Pitt-Bradford’s annual cultural festival has grown into an evening of international foods, entertainments and displays offered by students, faculty and staff. In recognition of Black History Month, there will be a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., noting how the world has changed the past 40 years.

In addition to the festival steering committee, this year’s Cultural Festival contributors include the African American Student Union, Anime Club, Anthropology and International Cultures Club, Art Club, Asian Student Alliance, Behavioral and Social Sciences Division, Communication and the Arts Division, the divisions of Academic and Student Affairs, Enchanted Mountain Weavers Guild, History and Political Studies Club, Diamond Steppers, Management and Education Division, Native American Drumming Circle, Metz and Associates, Nontraditional Student Association, Office of the President, Pitt-Bradford Improvers, Secret Adventure Society, Student Activities Council, Students in Free Enterprise, Study Abroad and International Studies and Togi’s Restaurant.