The Associated Students of Madison Diversity Committee hosted a celebration of the “unity of identities” at Union South Tuesday.
The committee organized many presentations and performances from groups of different ethnicities, religions and abilities.
UW-Madison graduate student Andrew Haisley and Hannah Fry, a UW-Madison junior and caregiver, spoke about their experiences with McBurney Disability Resource Center.
Haisley, drawing on his own experiences with blindness, advocated for open and tactful discussions about disabilities, emphasizing the importance of outreach “especially on issues that people probably aren’t necessarily going to bring up to each other sitting at a table at lunch.”
“I think [Diversity Day] is really important because it gives people a venue to explore some of the stuff they don’t necessarily think about,” Haisley added.
UW-Madison sophomore Nichole Springer said she was excited to attend Diversity Day and learn more about the Arab Students Association because it was one of the only groups offering a workshop on culture and ethnicity.
“I’m just really interested in culture and different areas,” Springer said. “[ASA is] dealing with people from around the world and trying to connect them with people who aren’t Arab.”
ASM Vice Chair and Diversity Committee member Mia Akers attended a presentation by Impact Movement, a Christian Evangelical organization on UW-Madison’s campus.
Akers said she hopes “this day has opened up [students’] minds to how different identities function on this campus,” and that “people [will] walk away with more questions.”
Madison Flow Club started the second half of the night with two of its most widely-practiced styles of performance art: hula hooping and “poi.” The hula hooping acts went beyond simple twirling, with hoops flying through the air and limbs seamlessly moving in and out of the rings.
One member of the Flow Club also showcased a lesser-known art form known as “poi,” which involves swinging weighted lights in different shapes and patterns to music.
According to sophomore member Allison Tutkowski, Madison Flow Club celebrates diversity by inviting students to express themselves through movement of any kind.
Next, Wisconsin Ukulele Club performed an acoustic set of popular songs, including a mashup of Ben King’s “Stand by Me” and Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls.” The Ukulele Club strives to connect ukulele players and musicians of all backgrounds, according to its website.
Jewop, UW-Madison’s only all-Jewish coed a cappella group, came to the stage next. The group performed traditional Jewish music followed by a mashup of the Beastie Boys and Daft Punk.
To wrap up the night, the School of Bhangra Dance Team performed a traditional Indian dance number. According to the group’s website, it aims to promote the traditions and culture of North India while making a positive impact on the UW-Madison community.
