Mosaic Night sought to bring the Taylor community a glimpse of heaven through showcasing diverse talents and communities.
The annual event held by the Multicultural Student Association returned to Rediger Auditorium Nov. 1, with festivities beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets included access to both parts of the night: cultural food and performance showcasing diverse cultures.
The night began with the Global Market, which offered a wide selection of cultural foods prepared by student volunteers.
“It isn't paid,” Natalie Snyder, a sophomore marketing and Spanish double major and member of the MSA, said. “But that means just that they were doing so out of their desire of their own heart, which is really beautiful, just to see their culture represented.”
The night featured Indian, Pakistani, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Latino, African and deaf culture through both cultural foods and performances. Among the cultures represented were Alaska and Guam, U.S. locations with uncommon traditional foods.
The performance art forms including dance, song and poetry, Audrey Moore, a junior global studies major and co-president of the MSA said. It also offered a space for students who are interested in other cultures to learn about them and experience new things.
“Most of the times we are not eager to ask them about their cultures, or where are they from, what do they eat,” Silvia Palax Cojtin, a senior business management and entrepreneurship double major and co-president of the MSA, said. “That's why we do these events, to show we have a lot of talents. We have a lot of perspectives.”
The theme for this year’s Mosaic Night was “Heart for the Nations.” It was rooted in Revelation 7:9, which depicts every tribe, tongue and nation standing before the Lord together.
The goal of the theme was to portray God’s love and the diversity of the Kingdom of God, Moore said.
“We want to show that God has a heart for the nations and the way God has blessed all of us in different ways,” Moore said.
The MSA also hoped to shed light on the struggles happening around the world through Mosaic Night, Cojtin said.
Even in the midst of joyful celebrations of culture and home, a few performers, through their art, offered a perspective on the harsh realities of their home countries and cultures.
“It's a way for us to recognize the struggles of others,” Cojtin said. “Having a heart for the country, just thinking about what's going on at home, what's going for the family. [It’s] just a way for us, or for the audience to be praying for others.”
The MSA invited students to experience the beauty of diversity with open hearts and open minds, Snyder said.
“I want people to go in there knowing that the Kingdom of God is diverse, and people come from so many different cultures,” Snyder said. “People will commune with others in ways that are different, but let us share in the joy of the Lord.”
