Support your favorite college newsroom with a gift! We’re offering the first 200 donors who make a gift of $44 or more a copy of the book published by The D.O. chronicling the men’s basketball team’s 2002-03 season. Donate today and help us win College Media Madness.

When freshman Amaya Saintal agreed to be a part of Caribfest, she thought she’d be the only person to represent Haiti on stage in the event’s pageant. But later on, Saintal and sophomore Edwich Etienne, also representing Haiti, were crowned Miss and Mr. Caribfest 2023.

“There’s not that much positive representation of Haitians and the history of Haiti in the media. So I was like, OK, I’m gonna take it upon myself to go do it,” Saintal said. “It was so outside my comfort zone, but you can’t grow if you’re always comfortable.”

On Sunday, the Goldstein Auditorium was decked out with an elegant runway and the flags of every Caribbean country proudly hanging along the bannister, reminding the audience of the different cultures that were about to be showcased at the Caribbean Student Association’s annual Caribfest. The event typically hosts a pageant followed by a concert that always features a prominent Caribbean artist. This year’s concert featured DJ Smoove and Gyptian alongside performances from the Kalabash and One World dance troupes.

While the concert was important to the event, CSA president Jasper Wade said she wanted to focus on the things the organization does for the SU community beyond big parties.

“A lot of times when people tend to think of the Caribbean they think of the really tourist areas or they associate CSA in particular with just having parties,” Wade said. “I think especially this year our mission has really been to highlight especially smaller countries, and if it’s not going to be those smaller (countries) then, it’ll be to show the different sides of the Caribbean.”

The 2023 Caribfest showcased students who are from some of the less well-known Caribbean countries. Senior Tarena Woodley took the stage to represent St. Kitts. Cassandra Roshu | Asst. Photo Editor

This year, pageant contestants were notably from underrepresented Caribbean countries, which Wade said allowed contestants to learn about them throughout the rehearsal process. Alongside Saintal and Etienne, the pageant included contestants from St. Kitts and Nevis, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

The pageant was separated into three different sections. Wade said the talent section was a chance for the contestants to show off their individual personalities — Saintal, for example, danced Compa, a traditional Haitian dance. The carnival wear section was a chance for contestants to highlight their individual beauty while showcasing the artistry behind carnival costumes, and the elegance section was meant to give contestants a chance to discuss issues that matter to them, Wade said.

Etienne joined the pageant to present Haiti in a broader way, beyond what people perceive it to be.

“There are a lot of reasons as to why I decided to join this pageant. One was to step out my comfort shell and do something different that I’ve never done before,” Etienne said. “Another was because I wanted to represent the beautiful side of Haiti because all people know about Haiti is what they see on the news.”

Both Etienne and Saintal said that the process, while time consuming, was very enjoyable and the CSA executive board and street team was instrumental in making the contestants feel comfortable.

One of the highlights of Caribfest 2023 was a concert from prominent Caribbean artist Gyptian. The concert was also showcasing two SU dance groups, the Kalabash dance troupe and the One World dance troupe. Cassandra Roshu | Asst. Photo Editor

While the final event was a success, Wade said the event took significant planning. Since Caribfest is highly anticipated by students, there was a lot of pressure, she said.

Like many Syracuse University student organizations, CSA has been struggling with funding, Wade said. CSA is a tier three organization, which places a cap on how much it can request from the Student Association. The amount hasn’t changed for several years, she said.

“We have a limited budget,” Wade said. “I prayed a lot and was very persistent on my end, and I didn’t let anybody tell me no.”

Wade said that her executive board was instrumental in finding creative solutions to CSA’s financial issues. She got lucky when she and her friends encountered DJ Smoove performing at a local bar and the DJ offered to perform at Caribfest pro bono.

Beyond becoming Miss and Mr. Caribfest, both Saintal and Etienne said they enjoyed learning about other Caribbean countries and agreed the event gave an opportunity for SU’s Caribbean and Black students to celebrate and educate people about their cultures.

“No matter what culture you’re a part of, or country you represent, we are all the same,” Etienne said. “Being at a PWI, I believe it’s important to remember your culture, which can be lost when attending a university like SU.”

Published on March 28, 2023 at 12:05 am