Multicultural Festival Planned for February

A lively display of ethnic dancing and culinary delights will be featured at a campus cultural celebration slated for February.

The first-of-its-kind event will be sponsored by the Harvard Foundation, a College agency established to promote improved race and intercultural relations. The Harvard Foundation has sponsored events by an American Indian group, East Asian groups, and Black groups at Harvard.

Harvard students will share their ethnic backgrounds through Spanish, Greek and Korean folk dancing, Irish singing and Black jazz.

The transcultural exchange was the brainchild of Rosie C. Rios '87.

"Our goal is to make the Harvard community aware of different cultural groups here...that many students aren't aware of," Rios said. "We want to let them know there's more to Harvard than the intellectual life."

President Derek C. Bok and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science A. Michael Spence have already accepted an invitation to the festival.

A show to be held in Sanders Theatre will precede the festival, which is to be held in Memorial Hall.

"We are still looking for other groups to partake in the festival. Planning is still in progress," said Antoinette M. Riley '85, a Foundation staff assistant.

The festival will also allow for tasting of various ethnic foods and exhibitions by the ethnic groups.

Riley said the festival and show will cost about $2300.

Profits will go to the Pine Street Inn for the Homeless and to local shelters for battered women.

"It'll be a day when everyone can come together and learn about each other," said Rios.