Kuumba Fest

On Saturday, Black Student Union hosted its annual Kuumba Fest. Kuumba is a Swahili word for creativity. The goal of Kuumba, is to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. Here at Ohio Northern, we do the best we can to live by this phrase. For our members, we created this event for them to display their talents, show their own sense of creativity. For example, one of our continuous performers is a poi spinner. Poi spinning is a performance art that involves swinging tethered weights through a different rhythmical and geometric patterns which forms different visuals. If you would like to see a video of a poi performance, click here. Another talent we have during the show is poetry. This year, one of our members performed her own pieces for the first time. This was a great opportunity for others to hear her work, and allow her to perform in front of her friends and gain practice. Throughout the show, we also have a fashion show segment. This year, our themes included influential black figures, throwback wear, cultural wear, and express yourself. During the influential black figures segment, our members dressed as someone who is an inspirational person in the black community and has influenced them in any way. Dressed as the individual, we provide a summary of the person and the great efforts they have accomplished. For example, I was Dr. Alexa Canady who is the first black woman neurosurgeon in the U.S National Library of Medicine. In 1989, the state  of Michigan inducted her into the Hall of Fame. Overall, this event is a incredible program that we have to show off the talents of our members and in general, educate the attendees. Each year, we strive to put on a better performance than the year before, which correlates with the Kuumba moto. For those who didn't attend, we hope to see you at our show next year!