March 21, 2005

Associated Students And Thurgood Marshall College
To Host Cultural Celebration Open To All April 9

By Jan Jennings

The 27th annual Cultural Celebration, featuring music, dance, games, and special activities for children, will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 9 on the Thurgood Marshall College campus at the University of California, San Diego. All activities are free and open to the public. A variety of ethnic cuisines will be available for purchase.

Following the theme, Cultural Collage, the event will include Hawaiian dancers, belly dancers, Polynesian reggae, Ballet Folklorico, salsa music, games of the world, and the Children’s Village with astro jump, magician, clown, face-painting, story-telling, name-writing in languages of the world and more.

“We started the Cultural Celebration so that Thurgood Marshall College could celebrate the contributions and impact of different cultures throughout society,” says Ashanti Hands, dean of Student Affairs. The student-run and campus and community funded event has been held on a Saturday in April since 1977.

“I love the vibrant colors, the rich sounds, the energy of the movement, the smells, the stories and the sense of community that this event creates,” says Hands. “Cultural Celebration brings together all walks of life and celebrates the differences while telling the story of how we are all connected.”

The Thurgood Marshall College Cultural Celebration is being presented by the Associated Students of UCSD, Thurgood Marshall College, Kaplan Testing Services and many other organizations. For further information, call the Thurgood Marshall College dean’s office at (858) 534-4390 or Gina Fiore at (858) 822-2877.

Media Contacts:
Pat JaCoby, (858) 534-7404, or Jan Jennings, (858) 822-1684