University of Texas at Austin’s African Students Organization held its annual showcase, Fest Africa, on Friday, Oct. 18. The event featured a variety of spoken word, dance and music from across the African continent.

On Friday, Oct. 20 the University of Texas’ African Student Organization put on their annual cultural showcase in Fest Africa. The event featured music, spoken word and dance, all in traditional fashion.

For African students at the University of Texas at Austin, the phrase “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is easier said than done. There will always be some level of cultural disconnect as they tip-toe across the fine line of being “too African,” or “not American enough.” It’s the epic struggle of wanting to fit in, while trying not to lose the one thing that makes you different. For so long, it seemed that African students were faced with only two options: forsake their African culture and assimilate into American culture or be labeled an outcast for choosing to be African. But by creating the Fest Africa program, the African StudentsAssociation at UT attempts to show that it doesn’t always have to be one or the other.

For African students at the University of Texas at Austin, the phrase “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is easier said than done. There will always be some level of cultural disconnect as they tip-toe across the fine line of being “too African,” or “not American enough.” It’s the epic struggle of wanting to fit in, while trying not to lose the one thing that makes you different. For so long, it seemed that African students were faced with only two options: forsake their African culture and assimilate into American culture or be labeled an outcast for choosing to be African. But by creating the Fest Africa program, the African StudentsAssociation at UT attempts to show that it doesn’t always have to be one or the other.