The Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center’s Multipurpose Room was bustling with conversation and music on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Hofstra University’s first-ever World Gala hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) and Anthropology Club. 

The event featured cultural exhibitions of clubs on campus, dance performances, a photobooth, cultural food and a lively dance floor. 

“What’s different about the World Gala compared to other cultural events on campus is that it basically is a lot of different cultures in one,” said Celeste Orellana, the SGA equity and inclusion chair and senior nursing major. “We don’t really have a lot of events that really try to integrate many clubs into one space and kind of just celebrate everyone’s culture.” 

Several clubs tabled at the event to show their support and talk with the attendees. They each had an activity for attendees to take part in. The Hofstra Asian Pacific Islander Association (HAPIA) set up an Origami table.

“It feels more intimate as opposed to other cultural events on campus,” said Parker Driscoll, president of HAPIA and junior audio/radio production studies major. “The tables are around, they’re close together, so naturally people would be closer together.”

The Black Student Union (BSU) table featured a trivia wheel as well as a display of their club’s photo albums and plaques.

“I would just hope that [students] take away just a sense of unity from our organization,” said A’marie Bosley, public relations and historian chair of BSU and junior television and film major. “Obviously with political climate and stuff like that, things are looking a little scary out here. But our biggest thing that we want to share as BSU is that, you know, we’re trying to bring everybody together.”

According to Orellana, the World Gala has potential to become an annual event in the coming years.

“The idea behind the World Gala was an idea that the Anthropology Club brought to me,” Orellana said. “We just wanted to be able to throw a cute little formal event on campus – a celebration of all the different cultures.”

Performances included the Azure K-pop dance group, and attendees of the event dressed in diverse attire, showcasing their roots and personal style as they celebrated the evening.

“Getting a chance to see everybody in their traditional wear is so amazing,” Bosley said. “Everybody looks so beautiful here.”

According to Cornell Craig, vice president for equity and inclusion at Hofstra, the university does a good job of representing diverse cultures although there is always room for improvement, highlighting the collective efforts that are needed to continue to serve the community.

“What’s important and what I really push for from my perspective and from my position is taking account of the voices that aren’t as loud, that aren’t as easy to hear,” Craig said. “What are the experiences of those who may be small in number? Or those who may be overlooked in some respects?”

The energetic atmosphere of the room drew a strong turnout, as attendees were able to enjoy activities, as well as to experience other cultures.

“I feel like coming together in events such as the World Gala definitely does help. I wouldn’t have been able to try food from Türkiye or from Georgia or even from the [United Kingdom],” said Jean Pierre, a sophomore political science major. “I think that being able to try stuff like that and being able to incorporate different cultures really does help, and it does create a diverse environment.”

The World Gala provided an opportunity for different cultures and crowds to interact with each other and celebrate unity, bridging communities that might otherwise celebrate separately.

“I hope students take away that they have a safe space on this campus,” Orellana said. “That there’s so many organizations and clubs here that see them and recognize them, and that there’s a lot of outlets on this campus that you can come to for resources or just even a community.”