The sultry sound of a Brazilian band filled the room as couples moved to the music. Dim lights and masks added further exotic flair to the night.
The music and dancing were a part of the University’s third-annual Carnival Brasil on Saturday night at Gerlinger Hall. The night was an
immersion into the Brazilian culture, with music, dance lessons, a martial arts demonstration and the atmosphere of a Brazilian street party.
The night was also a fundraiser for Students Helping Street Kids, a benefit program that sponsors underprivileged children in Brazil and other regions by offering scholarships to private schools.
The program was founded by Bob Crites who was once a counselor at Briggs Middle School in Springfield.
“I wanted the kids to learn more about this world we live in,” Crites said. “What better way than to get them involved in the lives of children in other countries?”
Students at Briggs have raised money to sponsor a private school education for Elizabeth, a Brazilian girl. She will also have the opportunity to become an exchange student at Thurston High School to meet the same students who helped fund her education.
Crites said he was inspired to start the program when he met Yvonne Bezerra de Mello, a Brazilian human rights activist working with children in the slums of Brazil. He asked her how to best help, and she told him the most beneficial thing would be to provide the scholarships for the brightest students to get a private-school education so they could escape poverty.
Often, students pair with a business or other private party to help fund a scholarship that pays for full tuition and fees, including books, uniforms, school supplies and food. The funding group receives pictures and a biography of the student it is sponsoring. Each year, new pictures, as well as school reports, are sent to the sponsors.
Students who were looking for something new to do Saturday night got a night of live music, dance lessons and other entertainment, while also helping to sponsor a Brazilian
student’s education.
Freshmen Kristen Mico and Corey Duffy attended the carnival.
“I saw advertising and love dancing,” Mico said. “We are always looking for something to do. This seemed really great, samba dancing and Brazilian boys to teach us the dances.”
Brazilian student Jackeline Silva taught some popular Brazilian dances at the beginning of the night and also performed throughout the night.
“I learned the dances in the streets in Brazil when I was little,” Silva said. “I like to show the dances, and love to dance. It is one of my passions. Brazilian dances are very free and wild.”
Those learning the dances from Silva soon realized the steps were the least-important part of the dance. People who first robotically mimicked Silva’s movements were soon swaying their hips and letting the music carry them through the dance.

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