With Trinity’s many societies planning exciting events at the beginning of the new academic year, collaborations between the University’s multicultural societies are not to be missed. Trinity is home to more than 20 cultural societies that have been working together to host fun and engaging events for their members. Hispanic Society’s Ents officer Irena Vukcevic says that members of these multicultural societies “either want to learn and emerge in that culture, or seek that feeling of belonging away from home.”
Recently, DU Germanic Society, TCD French Society and TCD Hispanic Society organized a freshers’ week karaoke night at the Grand Social with a playlist of international hits that had everybody up and dancing, such as Stromae’s “Papaoutai” and Bad Bunny’s “Moscow Mule.” French Soc’s ENTS officer Aleks Rettman notes that “each society made a list of songs that represent their countries … to encourage speaking our language, and promote francophone culture musically speaking! Many French-speaking students expressed enjoyment of this event, as they hadn’t heard those songs played in Dublin since moving to university.”
Second-year student and member of the Germanic Society Amelia Sarmiento was also in attendance. She describes the event as “wholesome and electric.” With many international students missing their home countries, events such as this karaoke night can bring a taste of home to Dublin while also introducing them to other cultures. Not only can these events strengthen the cultural roots of international students, but they can also build connections between students from all backgrounds.
The exciting uptick in cross-cultural events has brought new life to Trinity’s campus. Winta Solomon, also a member of the Germanic Society, sees the opportunity to connect with varying cultural societies as one of the many perks of her involvement. “[Germanic Society] has also given me a chance to improve my spoken German, make valuable professional connections, and interact more with other cultural societies on campus,” Solomon explained in a statement to the University Times. Trinity’s Eastern European Society and the French Society hosted a pub crawl during the week of 30 September alongside the French Society. In addition, the French Society hosted a coffee morning in collaboration with the Italian Society on 23 September.
The pinnacle of cultural collaboration this year took place during Freshers Week. Through the hard work of 15 various societies, a massive Doyle’s pub quiz brought new and seasoned students together. According to Rettman, this event “had a turnout of over 60 people, all speaking in a wide variety of languages. Many of the students that joined us for the pub crawl were neither French-speaking nor from Eastern Europe.”
These collaborations between the university’s cultural societies build community across Trinity, unite its student body and introduce new cultural contexts to students. It’s a heartwarming and inviting sight to see. “When you get together members of different cultural societies, it makes for a welcoming environment for learning and acceptance,” said Vukevic.
