Raffle Wednesday Grace raises money for 1979 ND graduate

Operating on a budget “ too small to cover expenses,” the Black Cultural A rts Festival cncluded a month o f activities w ith a fashion show and dance at the Athletic and Convocation Center Saturday night. The major financing fo r the festival came through contriburors w ith in the U niversity, according to student Piper G riffin . There is a basic budget, but that never covers all o f the expenses. “ The Provosts Office is usually the largest contributor, ’ ' she added. The celebration o f black history developed from a day to a week to a month, noted G riffin . “ Blacks on this campus are proud o f that and want to contribute to the celebration,” she added. The festival could have been better i f more people had participated, according to Black Cultural Arts Council Chairman H arry I Ammons. Ammons noted that the fashion show and Gospel Ensemble ended the festival on a “ good note .” “ Somehow, since the black community is so small, it helps the m ajority o f the white populus get to know what the Black culture really is ,” Ammons said. Ammons added that fo r black students adjusting to Notre Dame is “ hard at tim es” but “ getting a litt le better, ith a litt le partipation, there is a lo t that can be learned.” The festival is intended to expose black history, according to student Colette Payne. “ There is not enough exposure to black history on this campus. The environment is not conducive to that awareness.” Quality-wise, G riffin said she thinks the festival was “ excellent” th is year. “ The South Bend community supported the functions very w e ll,” she said. “ In some cases, they outnumbered the Notre Dame com m unity.” There were d iffe ren t types o f speakers this year, according to G riffin . “ Last year we had Cicely Tyson and Marva C ollins ,” she said. “ The names are not the same.” The festival also included a prsentation by poet Sonia Sanchez, a ta lent show, and the p la y " And You Thought A ll We Could Do Was Dance.” Hannah Storen [jr. ] and Darryl Daniels [soph. ] are wearing the latest in threads for the Fashion Show that took place Saturday to close out this year's Black Cultural Arts Festival. [Photo by Gonzalo Reyes]