Saint Louis University’s Filipino Student Association, in conjunction with Barkada, the Filipino Cultural Organization at Washington University, will host the third annual Sampaguita Ball on Saturday, March 18. The ball will be held at 6 p.m. in Umrath Hall on Washington University’s campus.
“This event is our chance to show the community the talents, dreams and aspirations of both SLU and Wash U. students,” said Vince Zata, FSA president. “It also shows how college students are helping to continue Filipino heritage.”
Following dinner, the ball will feature a showcase of musical and cultural dance performances by students from both schools. Five traditional dances including the tinikling-the national Filipino dance-the banga and the binasuas will be performed. Dance instructors will be on hand afterwards to teach the crowd a variety of swing, ballroom and Latin dancing techniques.
This year marks the first collaborative effort between the SLU and Washington University Filipino student groups.
“The SLU group approached us in the third week of January,? said Barkada president Jaydee Amoloza. “There was a lot of collaboration to determine what major things we needed to take care of before we split up into smaller groups.”
Zata said that the combined efforts would greatly improve the quality of the program, adding the talent of more students from the nearby area.
“Every year, we have tried to reach the Filipino community with our annual ball, Zata stated. “However, this year, we added another dimension to our annual event. I have been impressed with their excitement, hard work and dedication.”
Amoloza said that the groups are hoping for a good turnout, noting that other cultural student organizations at Washington University have been successful with similar events.
Both the FSA and Barkada began several years ago as smaller organizations aiming to promote awareness of the Filipino culture on campus. Both clubs emphasis education and promoting interaction between club members and other campus communities.
