East Carolinian

Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Travis Bartlett

On Tuesday, members of the ECU community gathered at the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center for the Cultural Café. Students and faculty were on hand to share their talents, including music, singing and spoken word.

The LWCC began hosting the Cultural Café in September in an effort to give students a venue to display their talents on campus and explore different cultural backgrounds and traditions.

Ashley Glover and Melissa Daniels work as emissaries for the LWCC, planning and implementing programs through the cultural center that advance the LWCC and represent the interests of students.

"We just noticed a lot of talent on campus," said Daniels. "[And] they have no place to showcase it."

Daniels and Glover noted that the Cultural Café attracts a variety of people -- all genres are welcome. People sing, dance and play instruments, and there is a live band.

Glover says the Cultural Café has had a great impact on the campus, giving people the opportunity to be exposed to different talent and creativity as well as share their own. She also said that as a result of the Cultural Café, there are more collaborations between students and student organizations to create new groups and host events.

Latisha Williams, sophomore health and human promotions major, is a member of Word of Mouth, an ECU poetry organization. She debuted a piece she wrote recently called "Love Triangle." She said she and other Word of Mouth members appreciated having Cultural Café to share their poetry and practice their delivery.

"The Cultural Café, for Word of Mouth, it's a place where you can go and practice your poetry. We can get our stage presence correct for our pieces," Williams said.

But the Cultural Café isn't limited to those who are a member of a campus organization. All artists who want to share their talents are welcome.

"I really like the idea of a cultural café because you can go and express how you feel about anything," Williams said.

According to Glover, attendance increases each time the LWCC hosts the Cultural Café.

"We're giving people that outlet that they need, because they didn't have it before," Glover said. "Every time we usually get more and more people."

The Cultural Café is done in an open mic style, with a laid back atmosphere. Students are asked to sign up in advance, but walk-in performers are welcome as well.

"People should come to Cultural Café because it's an open atmosphere for people to express themselves," said Daniels.

The LWCC will host two more Cultural Cafés this semester, on March 30 and April 8. They plan to host three each semester. Flyers and event invitations will be posted around campus as well as on Facebook and the LWCC Web site. The LWCC is located in the Bloxton House across from Mendenhall Student Center.

For more information on the Cultural Café, or other programs hosted by the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center, visit the LWCC Web site at ecu.edu/studentlife/lwcc or call (252) 328-6495.



This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.

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