The Busch Campus Center Multipurpose Room was packed with numerous students and performers Monday night for the Omega Phi Chi sorority's 11th annual multicultural talent show and exhibition. Students from various organizations, fraternities, sororities, cultures and ethnicities, brought together to experience the multiculturalism the sorority provided, swarmed the room.
The show started with Sofia Pinto, fourth-year Rutgers College student and president of Omega Phi Chi, thanking everyone for coming to the event. The first talent for the evening performed, singer Hayle, who was discovered at an open-mic night at Livingston College.
The talent show and exhibition consisted of 14 performances, consisting of poetry readings, a belly dancer from Ramapo College and a Chinese Lion Dance.
Pinto said explained how she and the other two members planned this event since the summer and received a lot help and funding from organizations in and outside of the University.
"The main goal of the event is to not show how diverse [culture] is, but how beautiful it is as well. The show has very diverse performances, and it really opens your eyes to how beautiful another culture is," Pinto said. She said the group likes to do an event to make everyone feel comfortable and emphasized the multicultural and diversity aspects of the event.
"We put our heart and soul into this event," Pinto said. The sorority is currently comprised of just three members, but with much time, hard work, support and funding from different organizations, the three members said the event was highly successful.
"Overall it's been very stressful, but everything is worth it in the end. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves and having fun and doing a good job is worth it all," Pinto said.
Livingston College junior Lilliana Fonseca, public relations officer for Omega Phi Chi, said the event is a way to bring different cultures at the University together and to have every culture represented.
A wide variety of cultures were represented at the event.
"It's a wonderful, exciting event and a Rutgers University tradition, and it gets bigger and better every year," said Elizabeth Fernandez, an Alpha chapter alumna.
Brenda Matos agreed. Matos is the RUEP/SED dance troupe's co-chair and a Douglass College fourth-year student. She said this year is the troupe's first hip-hop performance as a group. "We have four different dance groups: three Latin and one hip-hop. The group has been practicing a lot for the show and is really excited to be performing tonight," Matos said.
With the success of Monday night's talent show, the sorority hopes it will continue its tradition for years to come.
Be the first to comment on this article!