"It was difficult trying to fit four performances into five minutes," she said. "We were very pleased to get to perform, though."

Most students and performers said they were impressed with Sinbad and the performances.

Carolyn Nguyen '99 said she enjoyed the event.

"I thought what he had to say was really great," she said. "It was exciting meeting Sinbad and sitting next to him."

Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, president of the Undergraduate Council, said she was impressed with the performances and food fest.

"It's an event that really shows that it is a community at Harvard that can come together," she said. "I'd like to see us do this more often."

A group of student activists distributed green armbands to performers and members of the audience in support of the creation of a multicultural student center and more ethnic studies departments, said Ravi K. Dixit '00.

Sinbad waved a green armband on stage after the Kuumba Singers performed.

"I have the green ribbon," he said, then urged students to "fight, but know what you're fighting for."

"You've got to find a medium ground," he said. "You know what you want, and the university know what they want, and the answer's somewhere in the middle."

The activists said they were not entirely happy with Sinbad's response to the armbands.

The activists said that they were satisfied with Saturday's program, but that it was not enough to promote race and intercultural relations.

A sustained commitment is necessary, they said