2008 Woodie Awards
International arts open eyes
By: Lena Wright
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: TimeOut
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If you haven't taken advantage in the past of such activities as Clemson Language Partner Program, the international living community in Calhoun, the various and sundry international awareness events we have on campus throughout the year, or anything like this, you should start now. There is a world of wealth and adventure at Clemson that is almost completely untapped by the majority of our students. You'd be shocked that you can learn so much or have as much fun with that quiet kid sitting next to you that you're not sure speaks English. Well guess what: he probably does, and his grammar might be better than yours.
That's not really the point. The point is that there is a wealth of resources that you, my friend, need to explore. For example, the World of Music festival that was hosted in Edgar's last Friday would have been a great opportunity to get involved. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. The audience was the most eclectic mishmash of cultures and ethnicities I have ever seen at Clemson as the international students performed, and the SAA gave out a ton of prizes. The event was co-sponsored by Gantt Intercultural Center and the Student Alumni Association.
Some of the performances were an African/Caribbean dance group, several pop Pakistani and Indian pop songs, a traditional Egyptian dance, and one girl sung Indian prayers. It went from world radio-type music to haunting spiritual chanting. The best part was that the performers were all Clemson students. It was an opportunity to showcase some of their talents, but to also showcase their culture. It was an unforgettable experience.
The World of Music was not the only event during International Awareness week. The first event was a traditional Indian music performance by Surabhi on Saturday April 7. This was followed by a series of foreign film festivals, the international photo contest, the Ten Thousand Villages gift fair, speakers and seminars, and lots more music. At the end of the week, there was a World of Dances on Saturday and an International Food Festival on Sunday. There was something for everyone, and everyone should've tried something.
The pictures entered into the photo contest are now displayed on the fourth floor of the library. All of them are amazing, and all of them were taken by your friends and classmates. If you missed out, you can try to justify it and say there is always next year, but when again will you have such a diverse and easily accessible cultural community surrounding you? Not often, so take advantage while it's cheap and easy. You'll have the time of your life and come out a much more interesting person.
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