To wrap up International Week at Texas A&M, a fashion show was held that embraced many cultures around the world.
I-Fashion and Talent Show, held in Rudder Forum on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., showcased that diversity for A&M’s 2018 International Week. Many student organizations performed a variety of talent from all over the world as they introduced an eclectic lineup of dances, music, and fashion from all over the world.
One of the organizers of the event, Reeci Herrera, animal science sophomore, said that working with all the students and their cultures brought a lot of diversity to the event.
“This event in particular is unique because a lot of our events during international week are about talking about different cultures,” Herrera said. “This is one of the unique events where you really get to show it and bring a special edge to the table and really share that with people. Music is a very universal topic, so as a result, we have a lot of really cool talent and a lot of pretty costumes for people to look at.”
Geophysics senior Esther Cuauro, another student in charge of organizing the event, said that even though they did not come up with the idea for this performance themselves, this signature event was planned in the hopes of creating a diverse audience and talent.
“We really wanted to bring the different cultures of Texas A&M,” Cuauro said. “This university is very diverse, and I think a lot of people don’t know that. We have a lot of different organizations here on campus. All of these people here are from different organizations. These are different kinds of people that are here, and they want to share what their culture is like. We just kind of gave them an outlet to do that.”
One of the members of the audience, came to support her friends from the Mexican Student Association. English junior Esmeralda Hernandez said she enjoyed getting to experience her own culture be displayed along with the other performances.
“I found out about this particular event through my own organization and through the I-Week committee we created so that they could participate in this event,” Hernandez said. “So, we came to see them, but it’s been awesome being able to see all these different articles of clothing and cultures. I thought it was all really beautiful, and I had a really great time.”
A member from the Pakistani Student Organization performed alongside his peers in the hopes to defend their winning title from last year’s I-Fashion and Talent show. Between performances, Haziq Masood said that events that occur during I-Week are crucial to him and the entire campus.
“We were here last year as well,” Masood said. “We won the best cultural organization performance then. We’re here to perform a lot of different talents like songs and dance and showcase our traditional dresses. I think this event is really important because there’s a lot of diversity at A&M, but I feel like sometimes that diversity isn’t acknowledged as much. That’s why organizations like mine and others are important and why I-Week is so essential.”
Biomedical sciences sophomore Ricardo Rojo was an announcer for tonight’s event. He said that preparing for the event was very fun, and that he enjoyed getting the opportunity to be introduced to so many students and their traditions.
“Working with performers is actually really fun,” Rojo said. “I’ve seen a few performances and heard song in films and stuff, but seeing in person is a lot more different. You can see how the different styles are—like their rhythm or how they move certain parts of their body. It’s very enjoyable to see it come to life.”