On October 17, three Langston University students turned a residence hall event into a celebration of Jamaican culture. Roshane Gilpin, Tremar Ivey, and Lasauni Scott hosted an event featuring island snacks, music, games, and beach-inspired décor to give students a chance to “Escape to Jamaica.” What started as a job requirement turned into a space for cultural exchange and community connection. Scott and Gilpin are resident assistants, and Ivey is an overnight assistant. They became RAs/OAs to be more active on campus, gain leadership experience, and get assistance with paying for tuition.
Students who are not US citizens do not get financial aid, and although these students do get some funding from their agricultural majors, “there’s no scholarship opportunities, everything you have to be an American citizen [for]. So we were just looking for a way not to be paying 100% of what’s remaining. So at least at the end of the semester, we don’t have to worry about how we’ll be back here,” Scott said.
Gilpin describes coming from humble beginnings, saying they were not rich, but they stayed humble and put God first in everything that they did. They grew up very active in school and their community, which shaped their ability to engage on campus. They are constantly finding a way to showcase their culture “because that’s just what we’re used to back home,” Scott said.
RA’s must host seven events per semester for their residents. This was Scott’s fourth and Gilpin’s third. “We were supposed to do a collaborative program. And I’m like, Roshane is an RA, Tremar is an OA. We’re all Jamaicans. Seeing that we’re all in Residential Life and Housing, how about we just mix the two and also educate others about our culture — and we did.”
While working within the budget they focused on having authentic snacks like banana chips, bun & cheese, sorrel drinks and coconut water as well. The most rewarding part of their event was the turnout, “It was just different, engaging. Everyone was feeling the vibe,” Ivey said.
They were surprised yet pleased at the turnout of their event because people were still playing games and socializing after all the incentives were gone. Langston has a growing population of international students, many of whom come from the Caribbean. They hoped that the students who attended their event got to experience Jamaican culture beyond the stereotypes. “We as Jamaicans have our own identity,” Gilpin said. “So coming in there, experiencing who we are truly through our vibe, through our music, through our food, how we interact and communicate — I think you get to see that we’re not just about the stereotypical things that are known out there,” Ivey said.
The success of “Escape to Jamaica” left the trio inspired to continue creating spaces for people to experience their culture and connect on campus. Scott said the events’ positive feedback has inspired them to make it a recurring semester event. “Something that they’ll look forward to, a staple,” she said. “Not just having things on display, but we could have speakers, because our dean, he’s Jamaican, so have him coming to speak.” They hope there are more Jamaican students who will enroll so that they can have a Jamaican student organization in the future.
They were able to use their jobs to show their culture and connect with their peers. “It wasn’t a regular program like every other program you see on campus; everybody was vibing. Even though we weren’t playing any American Music, they didn’t know the music, they were just listening, and they were vibing.”
Their connection with each other keeps their culture alive while in Oklahoma. This event is an example, they also listen to music together, cook from back home together and don’t try to change who they are. “Everybody knows where we’re from. We don’t try to talk different, especially when we’re around each other,” Scott said.
Scott’s next event was a “Makeup and Mocktail” for the young women in Young Hall to come unwind and spend some girl time doing girly things. Gilpin is hosting an event with all of the RA’s in Centennial for Halloween, and he also had an event for domestic violence awareness recently.
Rebecca Gambor
Rebecca Gambor is a Senior Broadcast Journalism major from Colorado. She enjoys writing about businesses, on and off campus as well as profile stories. She writes for the Gazette because she knows the impact that the news can have in her community, and it’s important for people to stay informed. The Gazette matters to her because without it she wouldn’t know her love for writing would grow stronger. Rebecca likes shopping, traveling and doing hair on campus, specifically braids and twists and you can find her hair page @Tressedbybexx on Instagram.
rebecca.gambor@langston.edu
