By Diana Sanchez
Elm Staff Writer
On one of the few sunny and warm days so far, Community Unity Day was a perfect day for being outdoors, eating, listening to music, and getting to know the Chestertown community better.
There was a sizable amount of people that came out, both College students and Chestertown residents of all ages. There was always an influx of people coming in and out to get a look at what was going on and to eat the selection of delicious food being offered.
The food offerings at the event were a huge attraction for people and there was no shortage of selection. Food trucks such as Papa Smurf and Crazy Rick’s, fish fry served by Pastor Brown, and desserts from the Cupcake Queen bakery were present.
From walking through the event and visiting the booths that were there, one could find opportunities and new information; there are volunteer opportunities to play and pet bunnies all day at the Bunny Shelter at Rock Hall.
The booths that were there represented a mix of organizations from the College and the town, among which were: Geographic Information Systems, Miller Library, Latin American Student Association, Sultana Education, Garfield Theater, and the Student Environmental Alliance.
Junior Rose Adelizzi described how she was able to interact with all kinds of people around Chestertown as she was manning the booth for the Student Environmental Alliance.
“We are sharing a table with the community garden so it was exciting to learn about some of the environmental efforts around Chestertown, not just on campus,” she said.
The SEA also continued to do composting efforts by collecting the leftover foods from those who came and ate, to later return it to the College campus garden.
Kids were able to enjoy themselves with the activities provided by the booths like making “dirt heads” from Sultana Education, to the moon bounces and face painting that even College students could enjoy.
At the main stage were performances by local groups and by musical groups from the College, such as a ukulele group made up of local residents and the College’s Musician’s Union. The different types of music that were played ranged from modern music like songs from Adele and Lorde to Latin music.
Sophomore Gaviota Hernandez, president of the Latin American Student Association, said, “I think it was a really good day and activity; a meaningful way to engage the College with the community. Everyone had so much fun that I truly believe that an event like the CUD should happen often.”
The Community Unity Day did live up to its name as it helped bridge the divide from the town and the College.