The heavy downpour on Thursday September 16th, did not stop the teacher and nursing students of Divine Word University’s St Benedict’s campus from showcasing a lively multicolored cultural show.
Independence celebrations in the DWU Wewak campus began with a church service led by Bishop of the Wewak Diocese, Bishop Jozef Roszynski, who blessed the day and reminded everyone to appreciate our natural environment, and to also remember how Independence was sought by the founding father, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare.
Late Sir Michael was honored in the mass with a moment of silence, as well as before the Cultural Show in the Eastern Square arena, followed by the National Anthem and the National Pledge.
Despite the gloomy weather feeling, the crowd roared with excitement in a standing ovation as onlookers shouted words of acknowledgment and respect, when the St Benedict’s Campus (SBC) Vice President, Dr Fr Lawrence Arockiaraj of Indian origin made his entrance with his face painted in the bright red, black, white and gold colors of the Tambul Nebilyer District of Western Highlands Province.
“It is my great pleasure to celebrate with you all again this year, the third Cultural Show for SBC, also bearing in mind that this is the first without the country’s founding father, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. I wish you all a happy celebration with a Christian atmosphere within the campus,” the Vice President said when officially opening the show.
Although the nursing and teacher students had only just returned from their nursing and field teaching practices with limited time to find traditional costumes and rehearse, the students sorted themselves out into regions instead of provinces, and creatively performed each of their provincial dances, as a collaboration which was spectacular.
Photo credit: SBC, Wewak East Sepik Province