Every year, students gather in Wilson Auditorium for the Annual Language Festival in order to promote diversity and community on campus.
Taking place on Nov. 8, students will have the chance to partake in a myriad of events promoting heritage and culture. Performances range from the Flamenco and Salsa to opera singers and poets, students and guests have the ability to showcase their unique culture.
The Annual Language Festival allows students from a variety of different backgrounds to express themselves.
According to Julia Riordan PhD, Director of Spanish and International Business Major and Spanish for Business Minor, the main goal of the festival is to represent all languages on campus: “We try hard to have the other languages represented. Italian, Chinese, Arabic, as well as Latin languages- we encourage all the students to participate in some way.”
Riordan, winning the “Distinguished Educator Award” in 2016, places a huge importance on engaging students not only inside, but outside of the classroom.
“It’s important to give students outside of the classroom a chance to enjoy the language and culture. Whatever they’re interested in and whatever they’re good at can be displayed.”
The main emphasis placed on The Annual Language Festival, according to Riordan, is crucial for students to see the possibilities of language and culture.
Junior communication student, Kara D’Antoni, said it provides her with a unique experience: “It impacts the student body because it provides people the chance [to experience] things they wouldn’t be exposed to everyday; it’s exciting to be given the opportunity to explore the different languages and cultures all in one day.”
Learning about the plethora of languages provided on campus is great for people unfamiliar with certain cultures but for Sebastian Vera, a junior biology student, this festival touches him on a personal level.
“As a first generation college student from Colombia, I take pride in not only my culture but in my language as well. It is easy to stray from my upbringings while at school because I’m not always around what I’m used to, [the annual language] festival is a beautiful reminder of what symbolizes our culture and distinguishes us,” Vera said.
According to Vera, the festival has a profound impact not only on him as an individual, but on the student body as a whole, “It allows the student body to be aware of the variety of vibrant cultures that attend Monmouth University,” he said.
For the everyday Monmouth student, the event provides a chance to experience song, dance, and most importantly language.
The Annual Language Festival will begin at 11:40 a.m. in Wilson Auditorium and will end at 1:00 p.m. Food and drinks will be served after the event.
PHOTO TAKEN by Alexandria Afanador
