DeltaDays: Closing with a dance

Friday, January 21, marked the end of DeltaDays, “A week-long series of diversity-oriented events, centered on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King.” The closing celebration started at 6 PM in Friedhoff Hall where free pizza and birthday cake were served. Three different step teams performed at the event, including the Mines Dance Team. Attendees were encouraged to participate in their own way, either by clapping to the beat or dancing along. The night ended with a bit of Salsa dancing; an instructor gave a lesson before opening up the floor for freestyle dancing.

Although some people were pushed out of their comfort zone, most appeared to enjoy themselves. “It was pretty awesome,” said freshman Lizzy Rivera, “I really enjoyed how they taught us Salsa.” Junior Eddy Cervantes added, “I had a lot of fun learning Salsa and hip-hop dance moves.” Ali Gerhards, freshman, was surprised at how much she enjoyed Salsa dancing. “It’s better than two-stepping!” she laughed.

Overall, DeltaDays was a very successful week, but its success hinged on long hours of careful planning. Jahi Simbai, co-chair of the DeltaDays program committee, had been planning this week since early in the fall semester. “It was a lot of work,” Simbai remarked. However, he is very pleased with the way the event turned out. “All of the speakers spoke about a lot of different topics, and I thought it was really interesting… We had a lot of students participating, asking great questions… it felt like a community.” Anyone who did not get a chance to attend events this year should be sure to check it out next year!