This week I met with Andrea Ashburn to talk about her upcoming SABERS event. She is a sophomore exercise science major from McAllen. Her event is called "World's Got Talent." Ashburn hopes this show will feature all of the different cultures at Hardin-Simmons University.
"It is important to embrace and show the differences of cultures at HSU so we can show the diversity of HSU students,” Ashburn said. “This also gives people in the community an opportunity to expand their perspective."
Ashburn is very passionate about this event. HSU only has one week every year designated to celebrate different cultures, and she believes that we need to have multiple events throughout the year to celebrate HSU's diversity. She is an officer in Sangre, HSU's Latin Student Union organization, so she knows that there are already Hispanic-centered events on campus, but Ashburn wants more for the students at HSU. She imagined something that is designed to showcase the many different cultures that make up the student population of HSU. According to Ashburn, there has not even been a talent show that is open to all acts, so Ashburn wanted to bring change to that perspective.
"World's Got Talent" will include students from all different races and cultures singing, dancing, reading poetry and any other talents that the students wish to perform.
The first-ever "World's Got Talent" will be hosted on Thursday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in Woodward-Dellis Recital Hall, which is between Caldwell Music Library and the Holland Science building. There will be students outside helping with directions to the event. In addition to the fantastic performances that night, there will also be a food truck and paletas with free food for the first 75 students. A raffle of different gift cards from cultural restaurants around Abilene will be available as well.
Ashburn has been excited about this event since the initial idea and is optimistic about the future of this event and its place in HSU tradition.
"I hope this event becomes an annual tradition in the fall and grows into a large tradition that people will look forward to each year,” Ashburn said.
If you’d like to sign up, use this link.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6Llokq4I9EXx2yO9MMT2mxVZYP518UcnFoCIcaXXDxGweVg/viewform?usp=sf_link&usp=embed_facebook