On Saturday, March 30th, my student organization, Romophos, put on a philanthropy event entitled Saturday Night Spotlight to raise funds for Community Refugee and Immigration Services. This event was a talent showcase to not only shine a light on what diverse talents exists within the Ohio State student body but also what amazing work CRIS does in the Columbus community. Saturday Night Spotlight hosted a variety of student organizations here at Ohio State including Zuvaa Afro-Carribean Dancers, Fishbowl Improv, 3D Urban Dance Team, Meshuga-Notes, 8th Floor Improv, and the Jump Rope club. Each of these groups was unique and made up of a diverse group of students. It was inspiring to see how individuals from different backgrounds could come together and put on such an entertaining show.
Although I enjoyed watching all the groups perform, I really enjoyed watching the Zuvaa Afro-Carribean Dancers. This diverse group of students is named after the Swahili word for “sunshine” because they spread happiness by celebrating their heritage through dancing. Each student in this group had heritage belonging to some region of the Afro-Carribean world and they were truly a joy to watch. They seemed so happy to be doing what they loved and it was eye-opening for the audience as we got a small glimpse into their unique culture.
The funds raised through this event will be going toward a specific CRIS program entitled “Keys for Rooting Change”, which will be a summer program for refugee/immigrated children. This program will include music lessons (keys), planting a garden (roots), and conversations about mental and physical health as well as allowing them to find their voices through poetry, art, and more (change). This program is highly important to these children, especially during the summer when their mentors are away and school is not in session. During the summer, refugee children can become depressed or find themselves in unsafe situations due to feelings of isolation and a lack of guidance. This is especially true in today’s political climate, where these children are surrounded by media telling them that they do not belong here, their countries are bad places, and walls should be keeping them out. I cannot fathom how isolating that must feel and to know my organization is helping combat that fills me with relief.
Serving as the president of Romophos throughout this past year, I felt it was my chance to truly make an impact here in the Columbus community. After presenting our funds to CRIS, we learned that two other organizations in Columbus are matching our donation. This goes to show that taking initiative for an important cause can encourage others around you to do the same thing. Being able to support, both financially and physically, an organization like CRIS has been extremely fulfilling and I hope to take on more impactful opportunities like this in the future.