By Dephine Mutinda
Daystar University’s 2023 Culture Week, themed ‘Unity in Diversity, celebrated the harmonious blend of Kenyan-Community cultures from October 24th to 26th, creating a vast, yet vibrant tapestry of unity and love.
The event’s opening ceremony took place at the PAC, graced by the presence of the Vice Chancellor Professor Laban Ayiro, The Dean of Students REV Mutinda Musyimi, among other faculty members and students, as the cake cutting took place. This annual event, organised by the Daystar University Students Association committee aimed to promote unity and mutual understanding among the Daystar community by showcasing the rich of cultures that make up the institution that is honoured to host over fifty five nationalities.
The three day celebration kicked off with the “Ankara wear” on October 24th, where the University was an explosion of colour as students, staff, and faculty embraced their African roots with the different prints. This prints symbolised the cultural richness of the African continent. The pride that we all hold for our heritage was evident on every individuals face and courageous adorned self’s. The day featured a live cooking of different traditional meals, eating, dancing, photography and dancing sessions.
This beautiful day was followed by the career wear themed day, where students were encouraged to present their various careers by dressing in professional attires. This was a moment for students to visualize their future selves, while encouraging them to work hard to actually get there. Remaining tribes got to do their live cooking, as trivia questions were being thrown around with and colors being splash into the air.
Alongside the career day was the back to school theme where a step was taken back to memories of schooldays. A celebration of perseverance, memories, friendships and growth. The differently dressed students and staff in their old high school wears brought about a dejavu feeling.
Last but not the least was the vintage wear that was on the 26th, kick started by the Old school music filling the air. The timelessness of fashion was highly highlighted on this day, reminding us of the importance of preserving history.
The climax of Daystar University’s Culture Week 2023 was the highly anticipated Gala Night, held on the evening of October 26th at the Amphy theatre. The event celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Kenya, showcasing traditional dances, music, and fashion. Dancers from various Kenyan tribes wowed the audience with their captivating performances, underlining the country’s diverse and vibrant traditions.
{Emmanuel Locato, left and Hillary Semeyan, right}
The Gala Night also featured a stunning fashion show on traditional African attire. Models walked down the runway, showcasing the endless possibilities of African fashion through their creative wears. The highlight of the Gala Night was the crowning of Mr. and Miss Culture 2023. The winners, Hillary Semeyan and Emmanuel Lokato stood out for their embodiment of the university’s values of cultural appreciation, unity, and Creativity. They stand to serve as the cultural ambassadors for Daystar University throughout the academic year.
Daystar University’s Culture Week 2023 was a huge success compared to previous years. “These years culture week had more meaning to us, especially because the organizers ensured most people participated. It was not only about the Kenyan cultures that we have, but also the Daystar Community Culture, showcasing things that we love and enjoy doing as a community. Our cultures are diverse and uniquely beautiful. There is so much about each culture that we can barely exhaust. Each day is a learning experience and this has been an amazing one” Emmanuel Amani a student said.
As the event came to a close, every activity presented a lasting impression of the cultural riches that Daystar University and Kenya as a whole has to offer.