Vicky Smith
Student Life Editor
@pinkwritinglady
The Cameron University Nigerian Student Association (CUNSA) joined for a praise and worship concert, titled “His Greatness is Unsearchable,” at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 in the Shepler Ballroom.
The CUNSA Executive Board invited individuals across Oklahoma to perform at the service, which is held once a semester.
The night began with songs led by the CUNSA Fellowship Choir and a welcome from co-hosts Ayokunmi Akintunde of Cameron University and Feyisdyo Onifade of the University of Oklahoma.
Proceeding introductions, members of CUNSA and special guests from Cameron Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, University of North Texas, University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University took turns leading worship.
Those who performed include a testimonial singer, a saxophonist, a drama team, a rapper and a solo vocalist.
Attendees smiled as they lifted their voices up to the Lord, maintaining an energetic, lively atmosphere even after 9:30. CUNSA members also offered people native Nigerian food to take with them as they departed for the night.
Akintunde, a freshman internet technology major from Nigeria, said she appreciates everyone who attended the praise night despite the ice and snow that caused campus to close earlier that day.
“The whole program was awesome,” she said, “we were not expecting that much turn up at all, but we prayed, and we hoped in God that things were going to work out, and then it did.”
Akintunde said the purpose of CUNSA and the events held is to build one another up in Christ, while creating a feeling that reminds Nigerians of worship back at home.
“We sing the songs we usually sing from home and still couple it with American things,” she said.
In Nigeria, some worship styles are different than those in America, so during the praise night, the majority of those in attendance expressed their love for God through traditional Nigerian styles.
“We do worship, which is like slow music,” Akintunde said, “and then we do praise, which is like fast music and where we have the drums going. … We clap our hands while singing and dancing.”
The food served to guests was also a reminder of home to Nigerians.
“We had the fried rice the way we do it in Nigeria,” she said, “and then the Jollof Rice, which is the reddish one, and then we had plantain fried. … We had puff puff, which is like dough [fried in oil].”
According to Akintunde, CUNSA has enabled her to build friendships with other students since she did not know anyone when she first moved to America.
“I got to know them on a personal level,” she said, “because if I was just seeing them out there, [we’d be] saying, ‘Oh, hi,’and go our separate ways, but fellowshipping together, we could share burdens, we could share laughter [and] we could share pain.”
Although CUNSA is a Nigerian organization, Akintunde said people do not have to be Nigerian to join.
“[CUNSA is] also like a formal integration awareness,” she said. “People could learn our culture. Just like we learn everything about America, people could also learn more about us.”
She said by the grace of God, another praise night will be held next semester.
“We hope to see more people come join us,” she said, “worshipping God together … Inside of God, we are all one. We are all the same.”