Students studying during this busy time of the school year in the CULC on Friday, March 7, may have noticed quite the commotion outside at the SMILE Cultural Carnival, an event bringing together different cultural organizations for students to learn about.
Word about the event made its way around with a significant line of students forming before the event started, each one itching to talk to the organization present. Despite taking up a relatively small part of Tech Green, the event made its presence known. They played music to create a nice backdrop to the laughter and voices coming from the event, and it drew in students to check it out.
Ariadna Michelle Gonzalez-Otero, second-year CE and Devansh Kaushik, third-year BS, planned and hosted the event along with their committee. The Technique sat down with the two before the event to get their thoughts.
The event was hosted in collaboration with several cultural organizations on campus, allowing members of these communities to tell their own stories in their own words.
“We had a lot of members who were connected to a lot of clubs. They just talked directly to the boards on each one. And if they enjoyed it, and they wanted to share with us what they stand for in their culture, then they’re going to be there,” Gonzalez-Otero said.
Despite close connections, it was far from an easy task for SMILE to get the organizations together and allow clubs and students to get acquainted with one another.
“Keeping continuous communications was a bit harder than expected, especially because we had different people reach out. There were a lot of different people that we had to speak to at the same time,” Gonzalez-Otero said.
Despite the difficulties, the pair were determined to make this event a success because of the benefit it would bring to both students and organizations.
“We want to create an experience where they just learn about the stuff they didn’t know before, and have fun again. Like everybody’s special, and having a great feeling when you are a part of a community is amazing,” Gonzalez-Otero said.
“It’s also a win-win situation for them. The organizations get some exposure and can recruit people to join them,” Kuashik said.
The event was not all work. The organizations present kept the event light and fun with different crafts and games for students to participate in while learning about other cultures.
Society of Hispanic Engineers, SHPE, was one of the organizations present. Representatives talked to students about Carnaval, an event celebrated in many different Latin cultures, each with their own special twist and flair. SHPE also educated students about Dia de los Muertos, teaching students to make paper flowers used to honor the dead.
The event was just one of many this month from SMILE as part of their annual event March Gladness which brings joy to students of the Institute throughout the entire month.
“I would say March gladness is a way for SMILE to express what it stands for, which is to celebrate anybody associated with Georgia Tech,” Kaushik said.
“It’s just a way to express what the smell is all about, and we also use it to kind of hype up people around campus. We know that midterm season is going full-on right now, and a lot of students need that break during the week, especially to just end the week on a good note,” Gonzalez-Otero said.
Once students filled up their passports by educating themselves on the different cultural organizations present, they were able to have their pick of treats provided by GT Parents with Pups. Students enjoyed their cupcakes and juice boxes while unwinding and de-stressing with the puppies present.
If you missed the cultural carnival or wish to participate in more of SMILE’s March Gladness events, SMILE is hosting a birdhouse painting event allowing students to unleash their creative spirit and beautify nature on Friday, March 28. For any SMILE enthusiast, be on the lookout for them during finals season when the group is planning on giving out goodie bags to students during that stressful time.