By: Kaniz Samiha
On Oct. 6, the Brooklyn College (BC) Ecuador Student Association (ESA) hosted “Viva La Trivia”, a trivia competition testing the smarts of the campus community that came together in the Student Center’s Alumni Room.
Since starting the club last semester, ESA’s founders have continued bringing Ecuadorian culture to campus. Attendees were divided into groups at different tables and answered trivia questions about the ESA, as well as the history and traditions of Ecuador. The questions tested newcomers’ knowledge about Ecuador’s culture and traditions.
The event introduced attendees to different aspects of Ecuadorian culture, such as the origins of Ecuador’s name, the holiday celebrated in Ecuador on Oct. 31 instead of Halloween, Día del Escudo Nacional, and the New Year’s tradition of Las Viudas.
Las Viudas is a New Year’s Eve celebration in which men dress as widows in women’s clothing, wigs, and exaggerated heavy makeup to mourn the dying year and take over the streets, pretending to cry over the “dead” year.
Although some questions caused some attendees to stumble, the power of teamwork banded attendees together to discuss possible answers.
The organizers of “Viva la Trivia” aimed to create an easygoing, inviting atmosphere while still fostering friendly competition. They also wanted to bring together students from diverse backgrounds, not just Ecuadorians.
The event also gave an opportunity to learn more about the people behind the ESA. The club’s co-presidents, Roselyn Zumba and Jhajaira Tapia, shared what motivated them to start ESA and the club’s progress since its founding.
“[Tapia and I] went to the club fair, and we realized there wasn’t an Ecuadorian club; there wasn’t a space for Ecuadorians,” Zumba shared.
Tapia reflected on the impact of Viva La Trivia on attendees in educating them on Ecuadorian culture.
“I feel like we have been pretty successful […] there were many people of different cultures around, and it wasn’t just Ecuadorian. I feel like even with just the fun game of Jeopardy, we were able to spread the culture.”
“It’s been really fun so far, but I think I’m getting the grip of it,” stated ESA’s treasurer, Anabelle Noboa, reflecting on her experiences and future goals for ESA. “I want to bring our community together, students of every culture, to learn a little bit more about us because we are a small country in South America.”
Attendee Maximus Abel shared how he would feel motivated to join ESA after attending this event.
“It was very inviting, and I learned about the Ecuadorian club and that their food is really good.”
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ESA also provides a way for students to get involved on campus even if they feel nervous at first, as Noboa did when they took on the role of treasurer.
To learn more about the Ecuadorian Student Association, visit @bc.esa on Instagram.