CMU-Africa celebrates community day

Tartan Community Day is an annual celebration at Carnegie Mellon University for students, faculty, and staff to take a break from the daily norm to engage in meaningful ways. Observed on October 28, the CMU-Africa community participated in fun and creative activities.

The day started off with a speech by Yvette Underdue Murph, director of enrollment management and student success, marketing and communications, intended to energize the CMU-Africa community and inspire them to take advantage of the day. Underdue Murph was followed by a series of lighting talks from faculty, staff, and students centered around different interpretations of the topic of transformation. Assistant Teaching Professor George Okeyo spoke about digital transformation, Faculty Support Coordinator Esther Busiaga spoke about the growth mindset and Furaha Benedict (MSIT ’23) spoke about personal transformation.

As is tradition, there was an array of activities that ranged from karaoke, charades, board games, and music jam sessions to calming yoga for the mind, body, and soul relaxation. A favorite among many was speed networking. Adopting a speed dating format, participants had the experience of connecting and bonding. “Release your inner Picasso,” (a painting session) was also very popular. The grand finale was the Kinyarwanda dance class. Leadership, staff, faculty, and students attempted to learn the steps of the graceful Kinyarawanda cultural dance under the guidance of Mucyo Arnaud Kanyankore (MSIT ’23).

The tradition of Tartan Community Day

The inaugural Tartan Community Day took place in 2019. It was an outcome of the Task Force on the CMU Experience, which was convened in 2016 to prioritize and enhance a community experience where all members can engage, build resilience, and thrive. On this day, classes are canceled at all CMU locations. In 2021, it was celebrated in hybrid form.