Kamayan celebrates Filipino culture

In celebration of Filipino culture, students of all backgrounds gathered in Boston University's Metcalf Hall Saturday night for Kamayan, a traditional festival of food and dancing.

Groups from Berklee College of Music, Boston College, Brown University, BU and Northeastern University have been meeting for the celebration for 10 years, BU Filipino Student Alliance President Patana Phanmalai said.

"It started out as a competition," the School of Hospitality Administration senior said. "Groups would do traditional dances and then modernized ones. The modern part was the competition. But then it became really gruesome so now it is just a celebration of Filipino culture."

BUFSA is the second-largest student organization at BU.

Many students said they attended in support of friends who were part of the group.

School of Management senior Bryan Pinero said he has attended in past years and it has always been exciting.

"You get to see these different groups perform their dances," he said. "Plus, you get to eat."

Guests ate traditional roasted pig, noodles and egg rolls.

"When you welcome someone," former BU student Maria Matea said, "you always welcome them with food."

After dinner, the performances began and included traditional dances, musical acts and poetry readings.

"It's always an interesting show," BC senior Barbara Sternal said. "[It's] always very entertaining."

Matea, a Kamayan performer, said performing "was the greatest feeling ever. They started preparing in October. It's very stressful."

Public Relations co-Chairman Jane Oh said the event is a way to introduce Filipino students to their roots and show non-Filipino students about the culture.

"A lot of people here are first generation and this even is a nice way to bring them back to their culture," the College of Arts and Sciences senior said. "The modern dances help people our age to relate."