Duke recently held its annual Springternational Festival. As the name suggests, this event is held every spring to celebrate the diverse cultures which exist at Duke University. Though the event is held on the undergraduate campus, both graduate and undergraduate students attend and participate in the event.

MMS student, Kaleena Wakamatsu, a native of Hawaii, attended the event and was kind enough to share her thoughts on it:

“The event was a great representation of cultures, including Hawaiian, Latino, Native American, Asian, and Indian, just to name a few. Students were able to purchase tickets to gain entry to the event and these tickets were used to purchase food and other items such as jewelry that were for sale. There was also amazing music and performances which added to the excitement of the festivities. It was a great opportunity for each of Duke’s cultural clubs to share aspects of their cultures and customs. The overall feel of the event was very similar to a spring fair, I had an amazing time.”

For me, as an individual with a strong appreciation for my heritage (my family is originally from Ghana), it’s great to see how committed the broader Duke community is to promoting culture and diversity within its student body.