Kaleidoscope, a SLU Multicultural Celebration, Returns in a Hybrid Format

By Thao Nguyen Last updated Apr 12, 2021

Kaleidoscope this year falls on the same day as the St. Lawrence University's 165th Charter Day. Photo Credit: Taline Norsigian ’23.

Last Saturday, April 3, the traditional multicultural celebration named Kaleidoscope was hosted by the Office of International Student Services, the Office of Laurentian Engagement and Alumni Executive Council. The event marks the end of a successful World’s Languages Week. This year, the evening was hosted in a hybrid format with a Zoom webinar and a small gathering in the Gunnison Chapel.

The event went from 6 to 7:30 with performances such as singing, dancing, poetry reading, instrumental and a fashion show. There was also an after-party for the performers and other guests. The International House Coordinators Linh Do and Angeles Zuniga Medina were among the participants in the Chapel and left the evening feeling empowered. “The most memorable moment for me would be when I hear myself and those around me applause at the end of a performance,” Do said. “I think sitting together as a group in the Chapel to see the performers and hear the music gave me a sense of togetherness that I missed.”

Zuniga Medina agreed. She also added that Kaleidoscope this year gave performers and participants alike a chance to reconnect with their own cultures. “A lot of members of our international students have not gotten a chance to return home during this challenging time,” she said. “So I think it’s really important that Kaleidoscope gave them the space to sing, dance or recite a poem in their own languages and to share that with the audience.”

For those who could not be in the Chapel like International Student Advisor Megan Putney, she thought of the hybrid format as a silver lining. Though wishing to enjoy an in-person Kaleidoscope next year with students, Putney thought the evening was a wonderful opportunity to engage SLU alumni from across the world.

Anuva Anannya in Kaleidoscope. Photo Credit: Taline Norsigian ’23

“One of the things that we discussed earlier on was that it’d be great to include alumni, ideally as the participants, but also as the audience members,” Putney said. “It was something that we’ve never done before, but we felt like this virtual night was a perfect opportunity to engage with alumni, for them to enjoy the talents presented and for us to have that opportunity to display these performances in a professional space.”

One of the responses from the alumni and parents read, “So many great presentations of the current crop of I-House students. Brought back so many memories of I-House classes of 1996-1999. Totally missing the friends from that era and all the fun times in the I-House lounge. Thanks for making this available to alumni.”

Another read, “It is 4:30 in the morning in Bangladesh. [We], both parents of Anuva are watching this program and are enthralled by the performances of the students. Thanks to the organizers for presenting such a beautiful webinar.” Putney also suggested that through this experience, the organizers will make Kaleidoscope available for streaming in the in-person futures.

Zuniga Medina further shared the importance for Kaleidoscope to return this year after its cancellation in 2020. “With COVID-19, we have been given up on a lot of traditions and experiences,” said Zuniga Medina. “So we thought that if we cancel Kaleidoscope two years in a row because we can’t host a big gathering, it would put the tradition in danger. Especially since first years and sophomores have not gotten a chance to experience it at all.”

The event, according to Putney, Do and Zuniga Medina, could not have happened without the help from the Technical Specialist Kevin Irwin. “We were so on par with the transition in the Zoom webinar that the evening looked so seamless, but we could have not done that without the help of Kevin,” Putney said. “We came to him with the technical questions from as early as March, from how to do setup and how to use the webinar appropriately, and he never made us feel like we were inconveniencing him. He is the reason behind the success of Kaleidoscope, and I can speak for 20 more minutes on how amazing he is and how much we appreciate him.”

Kaleidoscope was founded in 2006 by Victor Kai-Rogers ’08, an international student from Freetown, Sierra-Leone. Since then, the International House has been hosting the event annually during Worlds Languages Week. This year, Kaleidoscope was hosted on the same day as St. Lawrence University’s 165 Charter Day.