Caribbean Student Association (pictured above) meets every week in the Fireside Lounge. The group discusses relevant social topics and often collaborates with other cultural clubs. Their meetings are each Monday from 7-8 p.m. and they invite any interested individual (Josie Kwan/Assoc. Photo Editor).
The Caribbean Student Association began at Geneseo last year by a small group of students, including communication major senior Ashley Raphael and math major senior Sydney Alexander. Raphael serves as the club’s public relations chair and Alexander is the president.
“Caribbean Student Association’s mission is to bring greater awareness of the various Caribbean cultures to the Geneseo campus through educational and social activities,” Alexander said.
Raphael, Alexander and the students that joined them from the beginning felt they didn’t have a space on-campus to fully embrace their Caribbean background. The CSA provided them a way to represent themselves and their background in a positive, confident way.
The club holds weekly meetings from 7-8 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge in the MacVittie College Union and welcomes anyone on-campus to attend. Each week, the CSA discusses various interesting and informative topics, often relating to current events occurring in a Caribbean country. The CSA aims to use these discussions to educate themselves as well as people who may not know much about Caribbean culture.
The club often collaborates with the Black Student Union through their annual poetry slam and with both the BSU and the Latin Student Association through their karaoke night. The CSA often donates the money from these events to worthy causes—last year they donated the karaoke night money to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Additionally, the Caribbean Student Association holds dance workshops and potlucks with a variety of traditional foods from different Caribbean countries. They are currently planning their annual intercultural dinner for next semester.
One of their biggest annual events, J’ouvert—derived from the phrase “jour ouvert” which means day break or morning—was held on Saturday Sept. 15 in front of Letchworth Dining Hall. Traditionally, J’ouvert is a colorful outdoor street party held in various Caribbean islands as part of Carnival.
At the on-campus event, paint and powder were thrown in the air while a live DJ played music. The event was very successful with a turnout of roughly 200 people from different schools and cultural backgrounds.
“We are always trying to educate others about our culture and show that we are more than stereotypes … portrayed in the media,” Alexander said. “I encourage everyone to come and learn more about Caribbean culture through CSA at Geneseo.”
Whether you are of Caribbean descent or not, there is always something new to learn with the CSA.