The Binghamton Association for Mixed Students (BAMS) celebrated cultures from around the world with a carnival featuring games, performances and prizes.
At Friday’s Culture Carnival — a shift from the organization’s usual annual banquet — guests explored four different stations featuring activities inspired by countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Games, dances and prizes reflecting the cultures of the countries kept attendees busy in the Old Union Hall.
Such activities included the European game Kubb, which involves teams setting up blocks in front of them while the opposing team tries to knock them down with other wooden blocks. The African station called Cheetah Race had students race an opponent to a hoop containing balloons to see who could pop their balloon first. There was a chance to win raffle tickets at each station which could then be used to win one of four prizes, like a Samsung Tablet or a gift basket.
Gabriela Acobo, a junior majoring in nursing, was one of the many students that successfully punched through a wooden board at the Asia-inspired station.
“I thought I would cut myself or it would hurt but it doesn’t really hurt, it just depends on how you hit it,” Acobo said. “I didn’t think I could do it, so it’s surprising in the best way.”
The Binghamton Hoop Troop, Uyai Nnua and the Ballroom Dance Club performed throughout the night.
Uyai Nnua, which means “Beautiful Siblings” in Igbo, is an African dancing and drumming club. Gieun Lee, a dancer in the group and a senior double-majoring in biology and Japanese, said that she was introduced to the team by taking a beginner’s class offered at Binghamton University, and said it was the perfect melding of culture for which BAMS was striving.
“I’m from Korea, so [African drumming is] really different,” Lee said. “I like to see different cultures and experience different cultures. Also, everyone in the club is just amazing, we’re like sisters, so that’s really welcoming.”
Following each performance, the audience was invited to join participants on stage and learn aspects of the dance to win tickets.
Amber Vandeyar, the senior advisor of BAMS and a junior double-majoring in English and biology, said that they chose to create the carnival to make the event more interactive and accessible.
“This year we wanted to be more engaging, have a more diverse environment for people and let people not just sit around and watch something,” Vandeyar said. “We actually want people to play and get to know our group more and get to know many different things around the world.”
Vandeyar said that her favorite part of the carnival was watching guests enjoy the games and responding well to the performances.
“I really love seeing everyone playing and smiling and having a good time,” Vandeyar said. “I think it’s really important for people to get out of their comfort zones and just do [something] that they’re not comfortable with.”