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Home > 4/5/06 Issue
> Culture At A Glance
Celebration
Cultural festivities happening
right in your face
by Boyd Boyd and Fonzo Bown
Reporters
World Fest brought together people from
many different cultures in room C135.
"We really want students to get a
flavor of parts of the world they may have never seen or even
heard of," said Janet Foreman, Student Program and Resources
Program Specialist. "We're hoping to raise awareness around
campus about the cultures of our world."
Dr. Sherry Dean, professor of speech communications,
kicked off the activities. The audience applauded as she approached
the podium to give her speech entitled "Where in the World
are You Going," which covered the importance of globalization
and cultural awareness.
"We live in a world that is much smaller and flatter. A
world where geography is history," Dean said. "Where
old familiar ways of doing things have given way to new systems
with new rules."
Dean relates the world's changes to Dorothy's
visit to the magical Land of Oz, a land that is much different
to the Kansas she's used to.
"We are living in a 21st century Oz,
and our journey is much like Dorothy's," Dean said. "Whether
we like it or not, our world has been influenced by a tornado
of change."
According to Dean, improving global competency
will make living in today's world more effective.
Maria Caratini, Director of English as
a Second Language, read the Cuban poem, "Canto Negro"
by Nicholas Guillen, about the little known, but wide spread,
African culture in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
After the speeches performers danced in
traditional dress. Patty Sun, of the JK Wong Kung Fu Tai Chi
Academy was part of the Chinese Lion dance
"I've been performing like this since
1989," Sun said. "It makes a feel a closer connection
to my own background and culture."
Ndanda Sonkosovo, from Tropical Productions,
did a twelve-minute traditional Congolese dance and then danced
another ten minutes with members from the audience.
"I've been doing this my whole life,"
Sonkosovo said. "I was born in the Congo and learned these
dances when I was very young. I love to show others this part
of my people."
The final performance was from the dance
troupe, RAKSZ, where Tamra Henna and her group belly danced.
"This is an art form that has roots
in Lebanon, Syria, Greece and Turkey. "It's also great exercise."
Displays of grains, dresses and flags from
29 different countries were on hand. A buffet offered food from
around the globe with such delicacies as biryini, an Indian rice
dish, tabouli from the Middle East, motza from Israel as well
as hummus, dark German and Pumpernickel breads, and the southwestern
favorite, chips and salsa. Sweetbread was available for dessert.
Several in attendance seemed to enjoy this
day of cultural expansion.
"Our favorite part were all the costumes
and music," said Melanie Dunn, whose daughter attends Eastfield
and was there. "The food was good, but a little spicy."
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