The Iota Chapter of Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Grand Valley State University’s only Asian-interest sorority, is gearing up for its annual Global Gala, a signature showcase designed to increase cultural awareness.

“Global Gala has always been receiving great support from the community, attracting 350 to 400 people annually, because it promotes the diversity at GVSU that not many people know of,” said Quyen Ho, co-planning chair of the gala.

This is the sixth year the gala has been held, and it is co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the GVSU Multicultural Greek Council and the University Bookstore.

“America is a diverse country that is made up of many different races,” Ho said. “This is why the Global Gala is the perfect event for participants to open their eyes to the world, as it is the goal of why we’re hosting such a significant event.”

A variety of groups will be involved in performances that will take place during the gala. Delta Phi Lambda will be performing, as well as three other Greek organizations: the Omicron Alpha Chapter of the Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority; the Alpha Gamma Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity; and the Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity.

The organizations will also perform “cultural strolling.”

“Cultural strolling is strolling with cultural dance movements and music rather than the regular strolls,” Ho said. “(It is) a synchronized dance to a song that was initially started back in the 1920s by African-American collegiate organizations. Later on, the National Pan-Hellenic Council incorporated strolling into the Greek system, and the Multicultural Greek Council also adopted strolling afterward into the council’s Greek lettered organizations.”

The gala began as the Dance Fusion event in 2007, which was part of GVSU’s Intercultural Festival and was put on by Boba Bellas, the Asian student interest group before Delta Phi Lambda. Boba Bellas changed the event to the Global Gala the following year, and since then, it has been the annual cultural showcase of Delta Phi Lambda’s chapter at GVSU.

“I feel that it is important for us to showcase and bring the minority cultures that we have at our school to light,” said Victoria Sun, another Delta Phi Lambda member. “Because GV is not a very diverse school in terms of the Asian to Caucasian ratio, I marvel at the fact that my sorority is able to pull off such a big event every year.”

Dancing performances will include the Swing Dance Club, Ballroom Dancers and the Belly Dancing Club. Delta Phi Lambda will demonstrate cultural Jamaican dancing, and two other cultural dances will be performed—a Latin dance by the Latino Student Union and an African dance by the African Student Council.

The dancing will continue with the student organization Kpop Group Evolution—a Korean dance team that promotes appreciation of Korean pop music—and Latin couples.

The group Capoeira Mandinga will be performing the “dance of war.” Capoeira, a form of Brazilian martial arts, was invented by slaves who disguised the fighting style as a dance to avoid detection.

The Linh Son Buddhist Temple Youth Group, a nonprofit that promotes education through learning and applying Buddhist and Vietnamese culture and language, will perform a cultural Vietnamese hat dance.

The free showcase will take place 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center. It will feature 13 performances by GVSU student organizations, including a cultural fashion show. A raffle and food will be offered, as well.

The gala is open to the public and LIB 100 approved.

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