Diversity on full display at MAWSA culture week
Last week, Massey at Wellington Students’ Association hosted Culture Week, an initiative to encourage Wellington students to share aspects of their culture to other tauira on campus. This week-long event saw students performing cultural dances, indulging in different types of kai and watching cultural films.
Prior to the event, MAWSA called out to students to take part in culture week, providing funding and venues to perform.
On Wednesday Jastika performed an Indian Bhangra dance at the Campus Co-lab, accompanied with traditional Indian snacks. This was followed by MAPS and Kōkiri Ngātahi serving lunch at the whare kai. The week rounded off with a Polish film screening, a South African lunch and a Vietnamese Film.
“It’s great to be able to accommodate and host our student’s culture. In Aotearoa we are so diverse, this is great, but it adds the pressure of needing to know enough to accommodate for each and every culture,” says Julian Tanaka, Team Leader at MAWSA.
“We hope Culture week takes away some of that pressure for students, and allows them to widen their cultural knowledge,” Julian continues.
With Massey University being host to a large cohort of migrants, and international students, Julian believes Culture week also allows people to reconnect with their cultures while living in Aotearoa.
“Being away from home can suck, we hope Culture Week helps students reconnect with their cultures, or even find some people to be friends with.”
With three physical campuses, and a large Distance community, Massey boasts one of the most diverse cohorts across the country. Due to this, the university needs to have systems in place to encourage the celebration of culture, while also showing the support needed to ensure different cultures are accommodated for. Julian believes Massey can be doing more at the Wellington campus.
“At Massey Wellington at least, I don't think the University is doing enough. If Massey we’re keen to collaborate and grow on Culture Week next year, we would be happy to do so.”