The Rice University Graduate Student Association (GSA) brought together students from across disciplines and cultures for its annual Culture Night, an evening centered on food, music and community.
Held in the Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall, the event featured cuisine from student affinity groups and performances representing a wide range of cultural traditions. From live music to dance and student-led showcases, Culture Night highlighted the diversity that defines Rice’s graduate student population.
“Every year, the Graduate Student Association hosts Culture Night… to bring the community together through food and music,” said Jazmin Argueta-Rivera, the GSA VP of Equity and Inclusion. “At the end of the day, we just want people to learn something new about cultures that they typically wouldn’t be exposed to.”
For many students, the event offers a rare opportunity to step outside their academic routines and connect across departments.
“It’s a chance for us all to get together, putting aside our research projects, our departments, our fields,” Argueta-Rivera said. “This event helps to unite us.”
The evening also showcased the talents of graduate students beyond the lab and classroom. Performers included musicians representing a variety of cultural backgrounds, many taking the stage in front of their peers for the first time.
Jane Selezneva, a first-year Ph.D. student in statistics, performed with her band “We Are Not Rocket Scientists” during the event and described the experience as both nerve-wracking and rewarding.
“I didn’t know how the audience would react… but it was so welcoming,” she said. “Everyone was loud, they were helping us.”
For Selezneva, the supportive atmosphere reflects what drew her to Rice in the first place. “People at Rice are great,” she said.
Other performers echoed the importance of events like Culture Night in shaping the graduate experience. Rodolfo Cantú, who performed a mix of regional Mexican and folk music, said the event highlights both cultural expression and personal growth.
“I try to challenge myself by putting myself out there and to show that culture is important and that scientists can do a lot of different things,” Cantú said.
With Rice’s graduate population representing countries and cultures from around the world, Culture Night offers a unique space to experience that diversity in one place.
“You can talk to people from different cultures, try the food, see what you like,” Cantú said. “I don’t think you get that kind of experience in other grad schools.”
By blending cultural exchange with community building, Culture Night continues to serve as a signature event for graduate students — one that celebrates not only where they come from, but what they bring to Rice.