In light of Dominican Independence Day, which is celebrated on February 27, a trivia night was hosted at the University of Rhode Island by the Dominican Alliance organization. The celebration took place at the Multicultural Student Services Center, where individuals could eat, listen to Spanish music and enter Kahoot games to win fun prizes.
Dia de la Independencia Nacional de la República Dominicana marks the country’s declaration of independence from Haiti in 1844, today they celebrate 180 years of independence.
The Dominican Republic’s three founding fathers are known as La Trinitaria, or “The Trinity. ” To plan and organize the rebellion against Haitian rule, Juan Pablo Duarte, Matias Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez established an undercover resistance movement.
As a true test of our knowledge of the country’s history and culture, trivia night consisted of questions about geography, foods, common slang, historical figures like the three founding fathers and Dominican artists. They included pop culture and entertainment segments as a way to be inclusive towards those who didn’t know much about the Dominican Republic.
Imran Khalil, president of the DAO, expressed his desires for inclusiveness and positive change. Manifesting the emergence of such organization in the lively world of campus life, Imran, and his other Dominican friends, created the Dominican Alliance in 2022 with the primary goal of providing an atmosphere that is safe and encouraging for minorities.
Imran Khalil is a fourth-year student coming from Classical High School in Providence, Rhode Island, and with the help of his sister Ahlam Khalil, now secretary of the club, and other Dominican friends, they started the group from scratch.
“We were hanging out at Brown University playing pool, and we thought they seemed to have a lot of white and Asian students,” Imran said. “We looked to see if URI had a group or club for Dominicans, but they didn’t, so we decided to make our own. ”
The Dominican Alliance organization realized the stress that can arise while starting college and the need for a location where you can gather to share your experiences, celebrate your culture, and address common concerns.
“We’re hoping that by next year, we’ll be able to accommodate the number of students, instead of having them stand around in the Multicultural Student Services Center basement,” Imran said. “We made it so that you don’t have to be Dominican to come to the events, that’s why we called it an alliance, not like the Dominican Student Association. ”
The Dominican Alliance is dedicated to promoting appreciation and increasing awareness among the larger student body, Imran emphasized. The club receives $100 annually from the institution because it is a first-year organization. They hope to build a solid board and continue long after the original community graduates as their funding grows.
When it comes to event planning, Imran and his sister are the primary presenters to the group, which also includes two other executive board members. She is a fourth-year biology major at the University with a pre-medical track.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we’re just getting started, ” Imran said. “The demographic is constantly changing, but we’re ready. Happy Dominican Independence Day. ”
By organizing cultural activities honoring Dominican culture, like the trivia night to celebrate the country’s independence, the establishment of the Dominican Alliance organization will strive to continue the creation of welcoming spaces.