Complete with fast-paced dance moves and soul-stirring music, the World Scholars program continued its tradition of culture nights this semester by hosting Brazilian Culture Night on Feb. 19. 

Culture Nights, which highlight different cultures and traditions on a monthly basis, are a way for university students to learn about unique backgrounds, meet new people and relax for a few hours away from school and work.

“The goal of culture nights is to provide a space for all students to learn about different cultures, to meet people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and to reexamine their own cultural assumptions,” Callie Zimmerman, a World Scholars program coordinator, said. 

Months in advance, program coordinators will collaborate with partners from different multicultural RSOs, faculty, staff or international students to find a story worth sharing. While culture nights usually focus on a specific country, like Japanese Culture Night on March 5, there have also been theme nights in the past, such as “Tea Around the World” or “Calligraphy Night.”

Culture Nights are hosted at the International House at Ray Street C, often referred to as iHouse, which serves as the Living Learning Community (LLC) for second-year World Scholars. 

However, Zimmerman, who worked with the program for over three years, emphasizes that Culture Nights are not just for World Scholars, but anyone looking to experience something new. With the recent Brazilian Culture Night, many students taking Portuguese attended the event as a way to further immerse themselves in the history of the language they are learning. 

Brazilian Culture Night also featured a capoeira lesson for attendees. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance form that was created by enslaved Africans in Brazil as a way to communicate with each other. 

When deciding the activity for the event, Zimmerman commented that it was “really important to bring in as many non-Western perspectives, and especially also it’s Black History Month, so that felt important.” 

Traditional Brazilian snacks were also provided, including pão de queijo, a form of cheesy bread, and brigadeiros, a Brazilian-style chocolate truffle.

“Brazilian Culture Night taught me about an aspect of Brazil that I knew nothing about,” Casey Donahue, a first-year World Scholar, said. “Having a Brazilian boyfriend, I want to know as much as possible about the culture, so this was a perfect way to learn more.” 

For first-year World Scholars returning from their fall semester abroad, Culture Nights are a way to meet other members of the World Scholars community and feel more connected to campus. 

“I hope that people will come away understanding a little bit about a culture that they weren’t familiar with, and I hope that they will come away having talked to somebody new that has a different life experience or cultural background,” Zimmerman said.

In a community dominated by similar experiences and backgrounds, it is easy to fall into a pattern of familiarity and comfort. Yet, by making the effort to expand their experiences, students will undoubtedly discover something remarkable.