Mindy M. Chen ’02, who performed as part of the Spoken Word Society, described her performance as a “release.”

“The spoken word represents the new voice,” she said. “I feel so honored and I’m glad we’re being represented here.”

Most partipicants wore green armbands as a symbol of support for the initiative to make the Committee on Ethnic Studies a certificate-granting program.

Cultural Rhythms participants wore the armbands in 1999 and 2000 as well, according to Ethan Y. Yeh ’03, who is the secretary of the Foundation’s Student Advisory Committee.

Yeh said that last year students had lacked time to organize the distribution of armbands and that they felt less of a need to be “visible” than they did this year.

Though several performers affirmed their groups’ support for ethnic studies verbally as well as symbolically, Underwood did not mention the issue during the show.

Yeh said students did not approach Underwood to seek his support on the ethnic studies issue. Matt Damon, Class of 1992, signed a petition in support of ethnic studies when he came to Harvard to host the show in 2000.

Underwood did make frequent reference to the quality and diversity of the student acts.

“To watch all the Kuumba singers—white, black, Asian and everything in between—was very moving for me,” he said.

Kanoe M. Lum ’05, who danced with Holoimua O Hawai’i, said she was also excited to be involved with the show.

“It was simply mind-boggling to see the amount of diversity this college has, and celebrates,” Lum said.

Saturday was the first time in Cultural Rhythms’ history that the second show (which is free for students) was also held in Sanders Theater. Both shows were sold out.

The first show was followed by a food festival in the Science Center, with various student groups serving food representative of their cultures.

Counter called the festivities “a good get-together for the Harvard family” and a “special” day for the College.

—Staff writer Ravi Agrawal can be reached at agrawal@fas.harvard.edu.