Freestyle not only hosted and organized the showcase, but the team also delivered unforgettable performances of their own. The audience was captivated and full of high energy from the very first beat drop, as the team opened the night with one of their electrifying routines, radiating confidence while dressed in matching team shirts. 

To learn more about the team behind this electrifying event, we interviewed Taeyu Kim ’27, an E-Board member, and Emily Li ’28, a new member of Freestyle. When asked what drew her to join the team, Li shared how her prior hip-hop experience was mostly self-taught, and she did not initially intend to pursue hip-hop in college, until a flyer about auditions for Freestyle ultimately changed her mind.

“Although I did not get in [during] the fall audition, I loved Freestyle’s overall genuine, warm, and supportive atmosphere. I also attended their fall show, ‘Spotlight,’ when I vowed to myself that I will try auditioning again in the spring!” Li said.

Li is not alone in expressing love for Freestyle’s close-knit community. Kim, who serves as the organization’s Publicity Chair, remarked that “the reason I kept coming back became the community just as much as my growing love for dance.”

Behind each polished performance — consisting of smooth transitions and synchronized moves — is hours of dedication and coordination. Kim gave us a look into what practices typically look like, explaining: “We do a warm-up when about everyone arrives, and then we have the plan for practice laid out, whether that is formations, learning choreo, or just practicing/drilling. Usually at the end, we do a recording to watch over and use to improve ourselves.”

Li also emphasized the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into preparing for performances, adding, “We take up a lot of time behind the scenes to block formations on stage and clean up each choreography!”

Kim added, “We work very hard to get the quality of dance you see on the stage! …[Jam On It] week is merciless. I think we did more than 30 hours last week, which is insane, especially along with all the e-board tasks that we are managing every day of that week.” Sharing a favorite performance, she continued, “…’Jam On It’ is always very special! We say a goodbye to our seniors (we love you seniors!), do the choreos from the entire year and get to put on a show we are proud of.”

Though Freestyle is an organization with a mission to learn and perform hip-hop routines, Li also highlighted how one of her favorite aspects of the team is how “everyone is so caring and passionate about dance, and I love watching each dancer’s distinctive personality shine when they perform.”

Though “Jam On It” showcases the amazing talent Freestyle brings to the stage, it is also a celebration of the long-term dedication, passion, and togetherness that define the team. Li and Kim, as well as all of Freestyle, hope the hip-hop group’s strong sense of connection and belonging will continue to inspire and uplift the Wellesley community as a whole.

Image Credit: Chelsea Tarringer ’28

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn and India Lacey

International Mother Language Day is celebrated annually on Feb. 21 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. It was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to commemorate the Bangla Language Movement, wherein Bangladeshis fought for the recognition of their mother tongue, Bangla. This movement began when the Pakistani government implemented a policy that made Urdu the official language of the country, even though the majority of East Pakistan’s population spoke in Bangla. What followed were mass protests, and on Feb. 21, 1952, police opened fire on student protesters; two decades later, East Pakistan gained independence and became what is now known as Bangladesh, or Land of Bangla. 

Wellesley’s BSA commemorated the event by inviting students to showcase the beauty of their mother tongues and cultural heritage through a performance of their choice. Performances ranged from traditional dances to spoken words to songs. Performances were given in a range of languages, such as Bangla, Urdu, Creole, Spanish, Chinese and Korean. At the end of the performances, the mic was open to the rest of the audience, underscoring the warm and welcoming nature of the event. 

The Wellesley News spoke with Alisha Shahriar ’25 and Samihath Zaman ’25, co-presidents of the BSA and coordinators of the event. They spoke about how the 1952 event was such a catalyst for Bangladeshi independence and how they hoped to honor that through this annual event. 

Zaman said that Coffeehouse is “what you feel most comfortable with. People can sing, they can do poetry, they can dance to songs in their mother tongues or the languages that they feel most comfortable with.” 

She explained that at her first Coffeehouse she talked about how much she enjoyed BSA in the open mic portion, and how she truly appreciated being culturally immersed in the space and hearing people speak Bangla. 

BSA has become an integral part of Shahriar and Zaman’s Wellesley community. They both have been on e-board since first-year, when they joined the organization and realized what an important space it was. The organization hosts various events throughout the year, including lectures, collaborations with other organizations — Wellesley or otherwise —  and fun bonding events, but Coffeehouse is the main event they do annually every year; it has become a staple BSA is very proud of. 

Shahriar thinks this year was their biggest turnout, something BSA is very proud of. They also saw new forms of expression this year, especially with dances. 

They also introduced “Cha” for the first time, which they think people enjoyed. Overall, they described the atmosphere as positive and happy.

“I think a lot of people mentioned that there was a sense of joy that could be felt,” Shahriar said. 

Shahriar and Zaman hope that this inspires more people to come to Coffeehouse next year, but also to overall promote cultural understanding and community on campus. 

“I would encourage anybody, no matter how confident you feel speaking another language, if you have something that you’d like to share or a language that feels especially important to you, we’d love to hear about it,” Shahriar said. 

Zaman concluded by pointing out the importance of cultivating spaces for everyone to feel comfortable to share their culture: “I’m glad, through the Coffeehouse and through other BSA events, we have tried our best to do it, to create a safe space for everyone to share … it’s really beautiful.”

Image credit: Samihath Zaman ’25

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Hira Khan

Correction issued: Alisha Shahriar’s name has been updated. The previous version was misspelled.

The foundation was launched in August 2016 when Blake and her sister saw a need to help students access essential school supplies in their local community in St. Thomas. They recognized how families were struggling to provide adequate resources for their children to properly learn in school.

“Growing up, we saw firsthand how a lack of resources affected students’ education. We wanted to ease that burden for families and give children the tools they need to succeed,” Blake explained.

In the early years, the foundation was entirely self-funded, with Blake and her sister covering all expenses out of their own pockets. “Thankfully, over the years, many sponsors have come on board, along with [financial] support from family and friends,” she said. “As the need grew, we [expanded our efforts] to help children in neighboring communities.”

The foundation’s mission is clear: to provide school supplies for students from low-income families, ensuring they have the necessary resources to succeed in their studies. The lack of basic school supplies not only puts a mental and financial burden on students, but also on their teachers, who often use their own money to pay for the supplies needed. The Blake sisters hope to amplify and address this issue of educational inequity that affects so many through the work they do within The Children of Albion Foundation. 

“We believe every child can succeed if given the right tools,” Blake remarked.

This year, the foundation is hosting a book bag on Wellesley’s campus to collect donations for underprivileged Jamaican students for the upcoming school year. The drive has collection boxes at several locations across campus, including Bates, Harambee House, Stone Davis, Shafer and Tower.

“We welcome all types of backpacks in new and [gently used] condition, and school supplies, including hardcover notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, and more,” Blake said.

For those who want to support the drive but are unable to donate supplies, Blake emphasized that there are still other ways to get involved. “[You] can still show support by making monetary donations, volunteering or sharing our initiative with others,” she said. “Every effort helps make a difference.”

Until the end of the month, the Wellesley community can participate in the collection and support the mission of the foundation. Though there is a long way to go in ensuring that every child can acquire the educational resources they need, the Children of Albion Foundation’s book bag drive may be a step forward in addressing the gaps present all around us.

Image credit: Rachel Blake ’28

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn and Valida Pau

Fever is more than just a performance group, it is “energy, passion and an overall joy for dance and Caribbean culture,” Rosado said. “Many of us are not dancers when we enter the group and we are all learning together, especially because we are all from different parts of the diaspora, it’s really beautiful to teach one another different dances and forms of expression.” When watching how each movement, costume and song work together, this expression can look effortless, but that is certainly not the case. “The amount of time, dedication and heart that is put into this org is really incredible.” Rosado said.

When asked what encouraged her to join Fever, Asare-Kwaah explained that, “Initially, I joined Fever because I saw them at the Org Fair at the beginning of the semester and the roommate wanted to join … now I genuinely enjoy it. It’s a great workout and makes me feel amazing about my body. It’s a really supportive group.”

Rosado clued me in on what a typical practice looks like. Because it lasts about two hours, the dancers start with a warm-up of stretching and occasional jumping jacks to Afrobeats and Caribbean music. During a week leading up to a performance like this past one, as the group prepares for the Rhythms of the Caribbean Expo, practices consist of run-throughs and perfecting their transitions between songs.

I also gained insight into the process of bringing these beautiful and intricate dances from vision to life. Because Rosado is an e-board member, we had the opportunity to discuss how Fever’s leading members approach choreography.

“We really try to get everyone involved in making choreography, though it has mainly been led by the President, Sairah O’Brian ’25, this year,” she said. “We start by making a playlist of songs that we’re interested in making choreography to, and from there, we build up choreography … we always try to add traditional elements into each of our dances, and keep them very fun and rooted in the main goal of the organization.”

Fever also encourages members to embrace different characters in their routines, using acting to enhance their dances. When asked about their favorite performance, Asare-Kwaah replied, “Last semester I really loved ‘Kotch.’ I play the guy role in a lot of dances and that was no different. I’ve gotten comfortable being more masculine. This semester though … probably ‘So Mi Like It’ which everyone can come see at [the Rhythms of the Caribbean] Expo!”

Rosado’s personal favorite is “DND” by Rema, choreographed by Taylor Quaye ’24. “The choreo just felt so perfectly in the energy of the song and Taylor really brought a special spirit to all of the dances they choreographed.” 

In addition to the upbeat dances, what really seems to bring Fever to life is the spirited community. According to Asare-Kwaah, she has gained a lot of confidence in her abilities since joining, describing practices as “super fun because everyone is hyping everyone else. I feel like I’m a lot less nervous when it comes to dancing in front of people.”

Rosado echoed this sentiment, explaining while every dancer can be tired as a result of academics and everything else in their Wellesley lives, “being able to come together, lean on one another, and have these moments of joy through dance is so beautiful … The support system we build as a group of people from all across the world and diaspora is definitely my favorite part of being in the fever dancers.” 

Rosado and Asare-Kwaah concluded by encouraging everyone to come experience the energy and enthusiasm of Fever Dancers at the Rhythms of the Caribbean Expo on Saturday, February 22 at 6:00 P.M. held in Jewett Auditorium.

Image credit: @feverdancers on Instagram

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn

Kodavarti joined WASAC her first year, looking for a space where she could find a common community of peers. She said that where she grew up, there wasn’t a lot of encouragement or displays of South Asian culture, and so coming to Wellesley, she wanted to find a place where a South Asian community thrived. When she saw WASAC’s booth at the orgs fair, she decided to go to a couple of meetings and realized it was the place for her. 

“I’m really happy I joined, I think it’s a really good community and I’ve made a lot of friends,” she said. 

Kodavarti quickly got involved with the org through general membership and e-board, becoming one of the first-year representatives and helping out with the cultural events that were put on during her first year. Kodavarti said she felt impassioned to continue her involvement in the org and to promote an inclusive community for South Asians on campus. She had an especially positive experience with Shruti Laya, and when she got the chance to run as the co-cultural chair for this year, she took it.

Leading up to the event, she handled lighting, music, and performances, not just from Wellesley, but South Asian organizations from other colleges. It was a big production that took the help of a lot of members and Wellesley resources, and Kodavarti said that it was a big responsibility to get right.

She explained that Shruti Laya is a great example of  WASAC’s greater role on campus: to serve as a support network for South Asian students. She said that it’s a mix of important shows and events, meetings, and also casual hangouts that just help students interact.

“Right now and in the near future, there’s probably going to be increased hatred,” Kodavarti explained. She hopes WASAC can serve as a respite for South Asian students from those feelings.

Kodavarti also said a big part of the org is learning and growing. She said that WASAC has a deep history of being less inclusionary, and they have been trying to encourage recent collaborations with other cultural orgs to foster acceptance and cultural understanding. She noted that especially with the amount of first years who are passionate about participating this year, it’s important that they draw from all parts of South Asian culture.

One example of this is the recent collaboration between WASAC and the Bangladeshi Student Association (BSA), when the org hosted a talk with three professors who were involved in the Bangladeshi student uprising. The event gave the students a chance to talk with these professors, learn about the political issues that Bangladesh is facing and talk with students from other South Asian orgs. 

“In college — in general — people can feel alone,” Kodavarti said. She recommends students find cultural orgs that will give them a chance to speak about their experiences and passions, and to feel like more of a community. 

Kodavarti encourages anybody who feels they have a place in the org to get involved, and anybody who wants to learn to go to public events. She also notes that other orgs should always reach out for collaborations, since they are always looking to partner with and learn from other students. She concluded by saying that WASAC is always meant to be a safe space for South Asian students throughout their time at Wellesley.

“I really like WASAC and you should too!” 

Image credit: Jiya Singh ’27

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn and Diya Khanna

As stated by current ASU President Cameron Kang ’26, the idea for the event was born out of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training meeting in 2022 when Atalia Navarro ’25, the co-Inclusion chair for that year, proposed a combined showcase of cultures in an effort to facilitate greater inter-organizational collaboration in the larger Asian context. Since then, the event has seen widespread engagement on campus.

This year’s event took place on Oct. 18 on the ground floor of the Houghton Chapel. The room was lined with pop-up booths featuring delicacies and artifacts from a range of Asian countries and saw participation from several cultural organizations on campus. At the same time, on-campus dance and music ensembles such as Wellesley Asian Dance Organization (WADO) and Aiko put up elaborate performances showcasing artforms from various regions of the Asian continent on the Chapel’s first floor. 

Doors opened at 7:00 p.m. when large groups of students showed up to view the performances before making their way downstairs to grab a plate of delicious food or buy a pair of earrings from one of the booths. The room was brimming with laughter and excitement as organizational vendors worked hard to meet the seemingly unending demand for food. Some organizations went a step further in engaging students by organizing fun activities such as the Pakistani Students Association’s initiative of offering to get your name handwritten in Urdu. 

In the years to come, members of ASU envision A Night in Asia being a yearly occurrence that is attended by greater numbers than ever before. Riya Bhattacharjee ’26, who is currently serving as ASU’s Inclusion Chair, plans to have underclassmen be more involved in the organization for the event going forward as a means of leaving behind a legacy of sorts. A crucial part of achieving this is to establish institutional memory by “be[ing] intentional about communicating to underclassmen about what our goals are for this event and why that matters.” Bhattacharjee has also been in talks with previous members of the ASU e-board to expand the event beyond its current scope to “pair up [different orgs] with each other to potentially do a collaborative booth of sorts.” 

With the recent turnout of A Night in Asia, Kang hopes for ASU to “transition from simply being a social org to something a little more meaningful.” ASU’s recent efforts have been geared towards ensuring that the e-board reflects a lot more Asian cultures by being more mindful about recruiting new members who are equally passionate about diversity and inclusion. 

“ … even in interviews, [we] spend a lot of time asking people what their aspirations are for the club and how that relates to our  goals of diversity and inclusion. A lot of the seniors have been working hard towards that. That’s the legacy that they would be leaving behind,” Kang said. 

If you or anyone you know wants to have an on-campus org featured, email us at dk103@wellesley.edu or pr104@wellesley.edu! 

Image credit: @wellesley_psa on Instagram

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn and Diya Khanna