September is Hispanic Heritage Month, and UMBC’s very own Mosaic Center for Culture and Diversity, screened a movie in hopes of bringing awareness to students. The film shown was a Mexican documentary that illustrated culture through dance and arts.
Attendees were welcomed with various snacks, and a sheet of discussion questions to answer at the end of the night. The documentary highlighted Mexican culture by showcasing a trip through the country, from the perspective of many different citizens. It was divided into segments that displayed work, religion, passion and sentiments to truly show the individuality of the people. A central focus was art, as the movie would keep coming back to music or dance as a means of expressing culture.
Senior computer engineering major, Dylan Gormley, was one of many who came to the event. “I am taking Spanish right now and I came because it was an extra credit assignment, but I actually learned a lot more than I was expecting,” said Gormley.
As a commuter, Gormley is not always as involved in student life as others, so he touched on how much he enjoyed the event. “I live off-campus and I am very busy so I do not always get to come to events here, but this was a really nice experience, and I am glad I came,” said Gormley.
Senior english major, Domonique Hawthorne, also went for the extra credit, but was pleasantly surprised. “I have never seen a cultural documentary like this, the takeaway from it for me was their resilience and them being so sure of themselves,” she said.
Something that was particularly remarkable to Hawthorne was the way that spirituality was shown through the documentary, and she said that the film overall, “expanded [her] knowledge of the culture.”
The event was planned by Graduate Coordinator for Cultural Programs, Krutika Karveershettar. As a new addition to the Student Life staff, she had been planning this event for about a week prior. “I chose to screen this documentary because it gives an overall picture of Mexico through dance and culture, which is complimented through music and stories,” said Karveershettar.
As the film drew to a close, she said that she was very happy with the turnout and is hopeful of future events, and even commented that, “next time [she] will have to get even more chairs.”
