By snoadmin
Students who braved the heat were treated with a variety of free food and performances for the Multicultural Festival on the Southwest Terrace of the University Student Union Tuesday.
The food provided consisted of several different ethic recipes, including Hawaiian pork and chicken dishes.
Brandy Bandaruk, a sophomore recreation and leisure studies major, provided entertainment for the sparse amount of students huddled under the blue umbrellas of the tables. Clad in full Tahitian attire, which included a coconut shell bikini top, Bandaruk performed the gyrating hip motions of the classic Tahitian-style dancing.
“I think the performance went really well,” Bandaruk said, “but it’s just really hot outside and since I’m barefoot, I think I burned the bottom of my feet on stage.”
Also during the festival was speaker Erin Weed, who spoke about personal safety and self-defense. Weed, with the help of a volunteer from the audience, history major Korey Pugh, demonstrated three key steps of self-defense.
According to Weed, the first step in defending oneself against an attacker is “palm to the face,” followed by “knee to the groin.” Step three can either be “elbow to the back” or “knee to the face.” With each step, Weed carefully but forcefully enacted the motions on Pugh.
Organizations participating in the festival included the Multicultural Center, the Beach Pride Center and Associated Students Inc. They gave out free water bottles to dehydrated students, food or brochures pertaining to multicultural studies.
“The low turnout of students may have been due to the sweltering heat,” said Elizabeth Yu, a business marketing major. “It’s so hot outside; almost no one is on campus today. They’re all at the beach.”
The Multicultural Festival was supported by the Presidential Commission of Women’s Affairs, the Associated Students Government Community Service Commission, the Panhellenic Council and the Women’s Resource Center.
