Cleveland State University’s Campus Activities Board hosted “Culture Craft Night” in the Student Center Atrium, Tuesday, Nov. 4 to bring people of all backgrounds together through creativity.

CAB’s diversity chair Julie Cutcher organized the event.

“Art and crafts are something that people can bond over,” Cutcher said. “I really wanted to represent each and every one of our students.”

“Culture Craft Night” was CAB’s latest diversity-focused celebration this semester, following its Hispanic Heritage Month cultural showcase co-hosted with Latinos Unidos on Oct. 16.

Students who signed in at "Culture Craft Night" received a ticket that granted access to a smorgasbord of culturally inspired refreshments. Offerings included agua fresca, churros, enchiladas, vegetable egg rolls and fried rice.

CAB set up more than 10 crafting tables, each featuring materials for students to create cultural art objects. Each table included instructions and a QR code that linked to information about the object’s cultural origin.

The lively atmosphere caught the eyes of plenty of CSU students, including Benjamin Besel, a Mechanical Engineering major.

“I was upstairs, saw there was an arts and crafts event happening and got interested,” Besel said.

He added that he appreciates art from different cultures such as Japanese animation, noting that he recently took part in an anime drawing session at The Edge.

CAB was happy with the turnout.

“We’ve had a very good turnout,” Cutcher said. “People seem to be really engaged and having fun.”

Julia Urban, CAB’s vice president of membership, joked that the decorative rocks that were laying across some tables to the side were bringing a lot of attention to the event, calling them a “popular” attraction. 

Cutcher’s third event of the semester as CAB’s newly appointed diversity chair ended on a high note, with organizers extending the event by 30 minutes due to strong participation.

With Ohio Senate Bill 1 affecting university morale, student-led celebrations of diversity, equity and inclusion have been welcomed by the community.

If you're interested in future events that celebrate unity and diversity, click here to stay updated on future events hosted by CAB.