A variety of international cultures will be celebrated when Multicultural and International Student Affairs (MISA) and Recreational Sports and Wellness Department (REC) sponsor a cricket match next week.
The cricket match will be held Friday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. on the North Oak Park baseball field. The purpose of the cricket match is to incorporate traditions from the cultures of the various international students at Southeastern and help the students feel more at home. Both International and American students alike are welcome to attend and participate.
“Americans are welcome to come,” said Brendan Daigle, the coordinator for MISA. “We did do it kind of for the international students, but we definitely invite and welcome everyone.”
This will be the second cricket match ever held at Southeastern. The first cricket event was held two years ago with an estimated 50 attendants, including the players.
“It is not an annual event at this time, though I would like to make it an annual event,” said Daigle. “We’ve done it once before, and it’s just something I kind of wanted to revive.”
The first cricket match originated through several international students stating their interest in the sport and requesting an official event.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming match,” said senior Rajendra Strestha, president of the Nepalese Student Association. “It’s been so long since we last played cricket.”
Though cricket games can last up to five days, this cricket match is planned to last about three hours.
According to Strestha, cricket is most similar to American baseball. Both sports have a type of batter, pitcher, fieldsmen and a similar type of ball. Some of the biggest differences between cricket and baseball include the number of bases, strikes, players and runs. In cricket, there are two bases, 11 players, only one strike before the player is out and an average of 150-200 runs per game.
Cricket is played with the addition of three small sticks behind both bases called wickets. If any of the three wickets are hit with the ball while the player is running to the base, the player is out.
Another noticeable difference is the shape of the bat used. The cricket bat has a broader paddle-like structure which differs from the more traditional baseball bat.
MISA has three big events planned for this semester, the cricket match being the first.
The traditional Nepalese festival Holi Celebration is being held in March. This is a messy event where people take colored powder and water and throw them all over each other.
MISA also plans to host an International Awards ceremony in April where international students will receive awards for academic achievements, student leadership and along with recognition of graduating seniors.
For more information about MISA and future events contact Daigle at brendan.daigle@selu.edu or email multicultural@selu.edu.