First Ever Culture-Con to Spotlight Diversity
Andrea Vasquez/San Jacinto College Marketing, Public Relations and Government Affairs Department
South Campus Student Engagement and Activities Coordinator Daniel Byars (left) and Specialist Jill Johnson collaborated with multiple departments and organizations to prepare for the three-day series of events set to debut April 10-12.
San Jacinto College South Campus will debut the first ever Culture-Con, a three-day event taking place April 10-12 aimed at showcasing diversity and bringing together students from different cultures.
“We hope that Culture-Con will help students gain awareness of the different cultures we have on campus and respect them as part of our student population,” Jill Johnson, a specialist for the office of Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) on the South Campus said.
Furthermore, she noted, the event offers the added advantage of directly supporting one of the College’s seven stated core values.
“One of our values is collaboration, so students from different cultures work together through departments which will benefit San Jacinto College because we are living our values,” Johnson said.
South Campus SEA Coordinator Daniel Byars said Culture-Con is a collaborative effort between SEA, multiple departments, and a few campus organizations.
“It started as an awareness (event) to bring cultures together, and because we have a liberal arts department and an International Student Organization, we want to spread awareness to other students,” Byars said. “We have a lot of liberal arts careers, and through collaboration, we wanted to put on a big event that focused on careers, cultures, and student awareness.”
Culture-con will feature a wide array of activities beginning with an open mic poetry session and a speech from nationally-recognized poet Carlos Andres Gomez on April 11. A fashion show will follow on April 11, while the liberal arts department will close out the series of events with a free luncheon on April 12. The luncheon is open to everyone and will begin with conversation openers and end with a panel discussion addressing career options in the liberal arts.
Meanwhile, Johnson said she hopes Culture-Con sees a big turnout and a possible return to the campus next year. She added, “I would like to see as many students as possible celebrate and be educated on their cultures and those of others.”
Culture-Con events will take place on the South Campus from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 10 in the Flickinger Fine Arts Center (S15); from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 11 in the Student Center (S11); and from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 12 in the Student Center (S11).
