Arts, Entertainment & Media Management classes often provide students with hands-on experiences to apply the concepts they are learning to real-life situations. Recently, projects by Aida Johnson’s Events Management class and T. VanEck’s Exhibition Management class were presented to the public.

     Taste the World: Celebrate Diversity at Columbia College, a project of the Events Management class, was held December 1 in the Hoken Annex. Designed to encourage students to explore the cultures of fellow students, Taste the World showcased dances from various cultures, including hip-hop, tango, Mexican polka, and Samba. Guests were treated to free samples of ethnic cuisine, including Thai fried rice and pot stickers from Thai Spoon Restaurant, Swedish meatballs from Wikstroms, sushi from Butterfly Sushi Bar, and Austrian pastries from the Austrian Bakery and Deli. Thai massage was provided by Equinox Fitness Club. Encouraging philanthropy, the event accepted donations for Changing Worlds, an educational arts organization dedicated to fostering inclusive communities through oral history, writing, and art programs that improve student learning, affirm identity and enhance cross-cultural understanding. At the event, Changing Worlds displayed a wall mural sharing the fears and hopes of children leaving their home countries to immigrate in the US.

    Shaken & Stirred: Dress and Cultural History of the Cocktail Era, an exhibition curated by graduate students in the Exhibition Management class, is on display December 14 – January 4. This exhibition explores the zenith and resurgence of the cocktail dress in the 1950s and 1980s and the cultural implications of the eras. Garments selected for the exhibition derive from the Columbia College Fashion Study Collection.