On Thursday, November 30, the Haitian Student Association hosted the annual Kreyol Fest at Downs Hall from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 pm, as the fest would be full of Haitian culture with food, dances, cultural lessons, etc. Everybody was welcomed to the event as tickets were free for students and they were able to bring up to 3 guests.
To kick off the event, a performer came out to the front of the crowd and performed the Haitian national anthem while playing the saxophone. Then afterward one of the hosts of the event Mal Jean who has been attending the annual Kreyol Fest since 2007 came out to get the crowd energized. Giving a speech about how strong and resilient Haiti is as a country and that they will soon get back to their glory days. Afterward, Natasha Dorselli a Junior at Kean gave the crowd quick facts about Haiti and its history once Haiti gained its independence in 1804.
Another set of quick facts the Haitian Student Association talked about was how Creole is the official language in Haiti. the Gourde is the official currency of Haiti and is used for everyday transactions and Port-au-Prince is the capital of Haiti.
Lydie Phillippe, a junior majoring in elementary education with an English content area, from Orange NJ, Expressed how much it means for Kean to hold this annual event for the Haitian community.
“ It’s very much appreciated because I know alot of other colleges that’s not really cultural, Kean is very diverse and always hosting cultural events like this which is very helpful to the Haitians that go here and other Caribbeans to encourage them to create their own club,” said Phillippe.
As the event went on the hosts handpicked a few attendees to participate in a trivia game about Haitian culture in which every participant knew their Haitian history and culture. There were also a few dance performances that got the crowd hyped as the dancers dressed in all black and danced to Haitian music. After the Speeches, trivia games, and dance performances from the E-board and the Haitian Student Association the food was ready for the crowd to eat.
The Kreyol Fest was filled with delicious Haitian food and drinks. Haitian sodas like Cola Lacaye with the flavors being fruit cola and banana were available for attendees to drink. The food attendees got to pick from was Griyo (Haitian fried pork), Diri Djon Djon (Haitiin rice with black mushrooms), Pikliz (Hatiain pickled cabbage and vegetables), Bannann (fried plantains), Diri Kole (rice and beans) and Poulet En Sauce (Haitian chicken stew).
Mal Jean, one of the hosts of the Kreyol fest and who had attended the event as a guest since 2007 emphasized cool facts about the Haitian people and their community. “ We’re resilient people, we don’t give up and we fight for what’s ours and we stand for what’s ours and stand for what’s right. We got the best food in the world as well,” said Jean.
The Kreyol Fest was a great event to get familiar with Haitian culture and what they’re about. They welcomed all attendees with open arms and made sure everybody was comfortable and having a good time for this annual event.
