The appetizing aroma of Kenyan food spread through the library as the students lined up to grab plates of the ethnic food. The projector displayed slides a student created about Kenya’s history and traditions. By the time everyone sat down, the room was filled with conversation as the plates were laid out on tables. The Kenyan night, hosted by Cultural Connections Club member senior Wangari Mwangi, was officially underway.
The Cultural Connections Club is one of the popular clubs among Fishers’ students as it provides them with insight into many different world cultures every month. Students walk away with not only full stomachs, but also new knowledge about cultures across the globe.
“Cultural Connections Club meets on Tuesdays once a month in the library from 3 to 4,” Mwangi explained. “One person in the club has prepared a presentation and often food to share with everyone. Whichever culture or country they are representing is what we [call] that cultural night.”
Hosting a cultural night requires extensive preparation. Students can sign up for the link through the club’s Instagram, @fishers.ccc, then create a presentation and food showcasing their culture’s traditional dishes. Although they have to follow the food guidelines provided by the Fishers Health Department, the payoff is more than worth it.
Beyond the monthly meetings, the Cultural Connections Club is best known for their annual event: the International Show. It is normally held each spring, and students are invited to showcase their heritage through food, fashion and performance.
“Kids came to the first-ever event that they had in the CCA, and they brought food, and they sang and danced and had costumes or at least … traditional clothing,” Renee Isom said, the librarian and sponsor. “And it was so great. It was so good, so they had such a good turnout that they kept doing it.”
Mwangi, one of the senior officers of Cultural Connections Club, explained that her favorite memory is from her freshman year’s International Show. “There was a really large dance circle that started with a few people and just kept growing. Everyone started going around the room in one big conga line.”
What makes the Cultural Connections Club unique is its dedicated student-led organization. The officers handle nearly every detail, from recruiting presenters to planning events with minor supervision from Isom.
As the Kenya night presentation wrapped up, the students stayed to talk and gather the second round of the ethnic food. For many, it was not about learning history or trying authentic food – it was about feeling connected to students from different backgrounds.
The next international show will be held in spring and the organizers encouraged everyone, whether to present, perform, or simply attend, to join.
