UB students seek identity in diversity

The University of Belize Faculty of Arts and Sciences was given some added flavor today. The students of UB’s Belizean Literature course along with members of the public, dressed in costumes, performed dances and showcased a number of Belize’s ethnic groups. And as we passed on Freetown Road we were drawn in by the creativity.

Amado Chan, Lecturer, UB

“As part of the Belizean Lit. course, every year we have a little folklore, cultural exhibition, with a focus on Belizean folklore. But we include other elements of culture so that we may expose the student community, the university community, and perhaps other visitors from society to come in and look at the latent culture that’s there. Some elements have been forgotten somehow, other elements have been lost in the process of acculturation. We want to expose our society to what?s there, the riches of our Belizean culture, the diversity. The focus is to have our students connect with the community. They go out there to do research, so that goes along well with the mission of the university that we should take the university to the community.”

Chan said that the students took a month to research and prepare their presentations. The purpose behind the exercise was to help students understand their own identity in a multicultural society.