By Stephen George
The African dance “Mandjne,” Chinese “Gusheng” music, Indian “Bangra” dance, a Bosnian man singing and playing acoustic guitar, a silent auction, and thirty-three different foods from all around the world, all in the SAC multipurpose room on Saturday night. It was the 2002 International Banquet, and if you missed it, you certainly missed out.
The evening began with the seven o’clock dinner and an announcement of the auction, which was held to raise money for the Service Learning Program to fund students going to Belize on a missionary program for spring break. Food was prepared and served by international students, many of whom are members of the American International Relations Club, one of several sponsors for the event. Each person filed through the food lines with plates in hand as those serving shoveled on everything from rice to potato salad to Chinese dumplings and Indian tandoori chicken. The diversity of the dinner foreshadowed that of the evening, which opened with a welcoming from International Center Director Dr. Everett Egginton and remarks by Dr. Mordean Taylor-Archer, Vice Provost for Diversity and Racial Equality.
Dr. Taylor-Archer said that one of the purposes of the International Banquet was to “celebrate the diversity and the rich cultural worth of our students.” Her opening remarks focused on a generally heightened cultural awareness in the United States and the implications thereof, especially post-September 11. “The safety of this country is important,” she said, “but not at the expense of our basic freedoms. We must demand and fight for social justice and the freedoms on which this country was built.”
AIRC President Karina Barillas followed, reiterating the message of unity that was the heart of the event. Standing in front of a tapestry on which the word “peace” was written in fourteen languages, Barillas invited “each and every one of you to become agents of peace. We must work together in the name of understanding and, above all, peace.” Barillas then asked for a moment of silence for all those affected by ethnic and cultural adversity.
Next the Grand Opening, which was nothing short of its name. Five dancers were on the stage performing the choreographed moves as nineteen international students, graduates and faculty lined up, each approaching front and center stage and welcoming the audience in their respective languages. Alexandra Ivanova, who received her MBA from U of L last year, was the Russian greeter in the opening ceremony. “It’s wonderful when people from different countries come together like this,” she said of the event. “I feel like it’s a big family.”
Masters of Ceremonies Ximena Suarez-Sousa, of Peru, and Saeed Ali Alawami, of Saudi Arabia, led the audience through what they called the “world tour” of performances, which began with a “Thillana” Indian Classical Dance, performed by Sowmya Srinivasan. Student Sue Zhang followed with “Gusheng” Music, a Chinese instrument that is over 2500 years old and perhaps one of the first stringed instruments of its kind. The sound was somewhere between classical guitar and harp.
One of the standout performances of the event followed, when members of the African Student Union performed “Mandjne.” The dance was extremely physical and featured a “fight” between the two male dancers. The performers then paused to declare that in Africa, “dance is celebration,” encouraging more audience participation. Rousing applause ensued, followed by several hundred audience members standing, clapping, and screaming along with the performers.
Bosnian Adnan Kalajdzic, a senior Business major, followed with his solo performance of “Za Dobra Stara Vremena,” a Bosnian folk song. Kalajdzic was able to nearly silence the riled crowd following the African dance and effectively create a cozy, almost coffeehouse atmosphere.
Several more performances followed, including Andean music titled “Wiñay,” a modern dance featuring solo performer Ja’Bani Bennett dancing to an African-Jazz Fusion number, and an Iranian dance which featured eight performers. Junior Spanish major Anna Visman favored the Iranian dance. “I really enjoyed the music,” she said. “It was a unique sound, and the dance and the costumes were great.”
Perhaps the most charming performance of the evening came when the Chilean Ulrich family performed the Mercedes Sosa song “Al Sur Del Mundo.” Father played guitar, mother sang, daughter sang and held a shaker, and son sang and played percussion. The daughter and son were neither more than 10 years old, yet their prepubescent voices hit the notes right on key.
Banquet Coordinator Gioconda Guerra, a Panamanian who is currently working on her doctorate in Human Research Education, delivered the event’s closing remarks. She thanked all those who participated, as well as the sponsors of the event. She gave special emphasis to the U of L community. “I’d like to thank all the students,” she said. “This event was made possible today by them. They all did a wonderful job.”
