MOORPARK : College Samples Many Cultures

Moorpark College went around the world in five hours Wednesday as hundreds of students participated in the school’s third annual “Multicultural Day,” aimed at helping very different people find common ground.

“I think it’s terrific,” Kristin Koeblitz, a student from Moorpark, said of the day’s program that included more than 30 free activities. “We’re so wrapped up, especially in California, in being American that we don’t really get a taste of the other things out there, and there’s so much else out there,” Koeblitz said.

There were attractions ranging from African folk dancers to Latin drums on the college quad, under flags representing the world’s nations. Quieter programs, such as discussions about different cultures, were held inside various college buildings. Claudia Cardenas, 21, of Thousand Oaks, joined in on African folk dancing and said the day was valuable.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s important for people to be introduced to other cultures around the world, it allows them to understand. When you only know your own culture, I think it’s more likely to have a prejudice against something you think is strange.”

Njeri Mbuto came from North Hollywood to sell contemporary African clothes she makes out of material from Nigeria and Senegal--and to give impromptu lessons on her products’ origins.

“They are all curious to know where the prints come from,” the Kenya native said of students.

A frequent question, she said, is the significance of the African colors of yellow, red, green and black woven into bracelets she sells.

“Yellow is for peace, red is for blood, green is for wealth and black is the color of the black people,” said Mbuto, one of a handful of vendors of jewelry, tapestries and clothes.

And education came from the stage as well, as performers took time out between their songs and dances to promote the day’s theme.

“Here we are, we’re Indians and we’re still alive, after 500 years we’re still alive,” said Judith Cuauhtemoc, the leader of a group of Mexican warrior dancers.

“We hope that we can someday live together as the corn,” said Cuauhtemoc, struggling for breath after a rousing dance. “Remember, the corn has the four colored skins and they live together in harmony.”