A long-standing Mercer University club provides a space for students of Caribbean heritage to build community and share their culture and traditions with their peers.
Mercer’s chapter of the Caribbean Student Organization, or CaribSA, was established about 20 years ago on the Macon campus. Today, CaribSA has about 80 members and normally meets every two weeks.
“The goal of CaribSA is to build community among West Indian students while also exploring our culture and traditions with students who aren’t necessarily West Indian,” said club President Caleb Wingfield, a junior biomedical engineering major.
Club Events Coordinator Jordan Buddo, a sophomore global development studies and political science double-major, said CaribSA is about the blending and learning of cultures.
“I think one of the coolest things about our club is it’s not exclusively for people of a West Indian background, but it’s open to people from other backgrounds who want to learn,” Buddo said.
Membership Outreach Coordinator Anisha Dieujuste, a sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major, said she joined the club so she could get more in touch with her Haitian culture and forge relationships with other Caribbean students.
“I grew up around a lot of Haitian people, but I felt like I lacked cultural awareness of other Caribbean cultures. So I really just wanted to immerse myself in various Caribbean cultures and other cultures as well,” she said. “I really appreciate CaribSA for being a place that’s celebrating Caribbean culture and representing various Caribbean cultures.”
After coming to Mercer, CaribSA provided Buddo, who was born in Jamaica, with a familiar space where she could not only celebrate her own culture but explore others. Social Media Chair Johnelle Forrester, a senior neuroscience and media studies double-major, came to the United States from Jamaica in 2019 and found in CaribSA a community she could relate to.
“I’ve found people that I didn’t know were from the Caribbean. We’ve had some really great conversations. We can laugh and discuss things we miss about being home,” Forrester said. “I feel like a lot of people really love Caribbean culture. To have people who are open and accepting and like to have fun adds a lot to Mercer culture.”
Wingfield, who is of St. Lucian heritage, said he was surrounded by Caribbean people and environments as a younger child but not during his high school years. So at Mercer, it was important for him to find a community where he could embrace his culture and learn about others.
“The club is vital because it really sheds light on different Caribbean cultures and different places,” Wingfield said. “Generally, people only have an idea of a few specific islands, and they kind of just lump everybody into that category. And so, the club displays all the subcategories and all of the smaller islands, which is what I enjoy so much.”
In addition to general body meetings, regular club activities include Paint, Sip and Soca, during which participants create artwork while enjoying Caribbean punch and music; Domino’s and Dominoes, a pizza and game night; and Fete Fridays (formerly Whine Wednesdays), where attendees learn a Caribbean dance, Wingfield said.
Buddo loves to dance and teaches others during Fete Fridays. She said she enjoys seeing people get outside their comfort zone and find their confidence while creating a final dance they are proud of.
CaribSA also hosts an annual CaribFest celebration and fundraisers like beef patty sales, “Bae-Grams” Valentine’s Day messages and “Boo-Grams” Halloween messages. Last fall, CaribSA collected donations to help residents in Jamaica and surrounding islands who were impacted by Hurricane Melissa, Buddo said.
“The Caribbean blends African, European, Asian and indigenous American cultures together in unique and exciting ways,” said Dr. Matt Harper, club faculty advisor and associate professor of history and Africana studies. “That blending gives us the kind of food, music, literature and customs that make Caribbean life so diverse and so popular. And since Mercer has a growing body of students with personal and family connections to the Caribbean, we are lucky to have a student organization that gives the whole campus a place to learn from and enjoy Caribbean cultures.”
In the future, CaribSA’s executive team hopes to see membership and participation grow. Mercer students are invited to join in any of the club’s events to see what it’s all about.
