Social Event
October 25th, 2019 at Smith-Steeb
Near the end of last month, I attended a really fun event hosted by some of the RAs at Smith-Steeb, one of which was my own RA, Gabby. It was an event she was excited about and encouraged me to go to. I’m glad I did go because it was a great time. At the event they brought in Spanish food, which was amazing, and I tried some dishes that were new to me. Then, we learned a little bit about the background of the salsa dance and its origins before we learned how to salsa dance ourselves. I was pretty nervous about learning some dance moves since I’m a terrible dancer, but it ended up being really fun. This event, with all its dancing, definitely brought me out of my comfort zone. Despite being hesitant about it first, the event left a positive impact on me, and it was a great way to relax after a long week and connect with more people in my residence hall.
From what my RA described about dancing in Latinx culture and the origins of salsa dancing, I could tell this was an important part of the culture. I think one of the most important things we can do as International Affairs scholars is to learn about other cultures, and connect with people from other cultures. Events, like this one, are helpful to do this. Not only do I think understanding other cultures is important for everyone to do, it is also a personal goal of mine. So, I was glad that I went to the event even though I was nervous because not only was it a great time but I learned plenty of new information and dance moves!