ACA Night 2022

Hey friends,

Being a Sierra Leonean, I did a lot of research about the African culture on campus before coming to Carleton.

That’s when I stumbled upon the photos from the ACA Night years prior. ACA stands for African Caribbean Association. It is a club that is all about creating a community that unites students from the African diaspora on campus!

ACA hosts meetings and social events a couple of times a term with yummy snacks and delicious catered food! They are focused on creating a community that celebrates students’ backgrounds and cultures from all over the African continent and the Caribbean. 

ACA Night

One way they do this is by putting on the annual ACA Night. From singing performances to dance numbers, ACA night is a great way to showcase the diversity of talents on campus. Because of the pandemic, this spring was the very first time I experienced ACA Night!

At first, I struggled with deciding to what do for ACA night. I wasn’t sure if I should join the acapella group, dance with friends, or do a stand-up routine. Ultimately, I realized I didn’t have to decide. I was going to do it all!

A-C-A-Pella

The acapella group I decided to join was called A-C-A-Pella. Get it? We met a couple of times a week to perfect our musical arrangement. After much deliberation, we choose 4 songs to sing. The songs “Eh Yahweh Kumama,” “Wade in the Water,” “Suzanna,” and “Love on the Brain” comprised the arrangement.

West African Dance

Besides singing, I also participated in the West African Dance group. Since I taught Afro-Fit, a P.E. class at Carleton, I volunteered to choreograph the dance. With help from my younger sister, I choreographed a fun dance to the song.

Although I already choreographed the song, it was a bit tricky to find people who wanted to dance. A lot of my friends were nervous about dancing in front of a large group of people. However, after reassuring them that the choreo was nothing crazy, they were willing to give it a shot.

Like A-C-A-Pella, we all met a couple of times a week to learn the moves. Once I thought the group got the dance down, I decided to pick some jokes for a stand-up routine. 

Stand-up

Even though I had done stand-up comedy several times before, I was super nervous to perform in front of all my peers. I was changing up my routine up until the time I got handed the microphone that night. But in the end, that set was the best I have ever performed!

Ultimately, ACA Night was a great success. It was amazing seeing everyone embrace their culture! At the end of the night, I didn’t only feel seen, but also proud.