Black History Month at Bishop’s: The CASA Culture Show

To celebrate Black History Month at Bishop’s, we talked to CASA co-president Dorit-Lynn Elizabeth Staco about the student club’s famous Culture Show. Hosted once a year, the Culture Show is one of the most anticipated student events of the year. It is an evening filled with music, dancing, singing, and a lot of fun!

Can you tell me about the Culture Show and its history?

The Culture Show was created in 2011 by former member Lois Boateng. The event presents different cultures and beliefs of Bishop’s University students. It is our way of showing support for diversity and it is a fun way to become more educated about various cultures. It is the place to come to have fun and feel the warmth of the Caribbean and Africa when it is cold outside. It is an event that brings everyone together and celebrates our differences. We do this by not only presenting fashion lines by local and international designers, but also by presenting some of our talented students.

Each year, we have a new theme and provide new experiences for people. The most important thing about this event is that the money we raise from the show is given to a secure organization that is decided upon in advance. In 2018, we donated to the K1 Britannia Foundation to help St. Maarten, one of the Islands affected by a devastating hurricane.

Why is it important to have events like the Culture Show? Why is it important to celebrate diversity?

Having an event like the Culture Show is the best and most fun way to promote the multicultural environment that we have at Bishop’s University. Diversity is present everywhere we go, in our country, in our workplace, in our schools. All those places consist of various cultural, ethnic, and racial groups that we can learn from, but for that to happen we have to understand our differences so we can collaborate and cooperate with one another. The Culture Show does that all in one place while you are relaxing, enjoying time with people around you that you care about.

To learn more about CASA and to see pictures of previous editions of the Culture Show, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BishopsUCASA/