This past Monday, Yi-Hwa Hanna was anything but 'on vacation.' Hanna was not in her room, cramming in a few 11th-hour assignments that she'd saved for the last minute. She was not living it up with her friends, savoring the last precious hours of her three-day weekend.
Instead, Hanna, toting a plastic bag containing her Hodgdon dinner, was crammed into Cohen Auditorium with a vast array of dancers and musicians, storytellers and fashion models that comprised the dress rehearsal for the International Club's Parade of Nations, being held tonight from 5-7 p.m. in Cohen.
Hanna is one of several co-directors for the I-Club's multicultural extravaganza, and the task of coordinating such an eclectic production is far from easy. Tonight's show will feature performances from over a dozen other campus culture organizations and caps off International Week festivities that have included guest speakers, group presentations, and special menus at campus dining halls.
"Parade of Nations isn't supposed to be about one organization, though," Hanna said. "We're not doing this only for members of the International Club or any of the other campus groups; this is for everybody, and we want everybody to enjoy it."
Hanna continued, "It really bugs me when I hear people say that, 'I'm not going to go to this or that [event] because I'm American.' That's just silly, because whether you're foreign- or American-born it doesn't matter. International means everybody, and we really do want everyone here to take advantage of this."
Hanna went on to point out TURBO's breakdancing as an example of an American culture component that his been worked into this year's show. The b-boys from TURBO will be joined onstage by acts like the Arab Students Association's "1001 Nights," a multi-ethnic dance collective known as Latin Infusion, and a fashion show that features traditionally and not-so-traditionally costumed models strutting down a runway to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
And yet, amidst this atmosphere of lavish glitz, the objective of Parade of Nations is refreshingly simple.
According to Parade director and Tufts junior Samar Habayeb, "Parade of Nations is just about bringing acts from every culture onto one stage, for one night. We want to let the audience see all kinds of people doing their own thing - different things - but doing it together."
"That's really the point," said Hanna. "When we [as a society] refer to internationalism, we're usually talking about war or politics or something like that. But with Parade of Nations, we want to let people know that, yeah, people from all different backgrounds can be together in one place and express their individuality, and that's okay. No conflicts, no tension; just being together and having a good time."
However, this touching mantra isn't the only motive for the Parade; the International Club hopes to use the evening as a platform from which to further their tsunami relief efforts. During intermission, the I-Club, in partnership with the staff of La Contessa Bakery in Davis Square, will host a bake sale in the lobby of Cohen, all the proceeds from which will be donated directly to relief organizations that target Southeast Asian countries devastated by December's ravaging tsunami.
"The I-Club is very involved with charity and community service projects," Hanna said.
In addition to the Candlelight Vigil for tsunami victims last month, the International Club has sponsored or co-sponsored endeavors that range from large-scale UNICEF charity efforts to beginning a scholarship fund for foreign-born graduates In fact, part of the Parade of Nations ceremony will include the presentation of the Oliver Chapman Award for leadership and community service. Named in honor of a former Tufts student, the award is given to a Tufts senior who has contributed in some outstanding way to the international community.
Under the direction of I-Club treasurer and Tufts junior Mauricio Arti?±ano, the International Club plans to expand its community service efforts with a project that hits somewhat closer to home.
"As we all know," Hanna explains, "the Medford-Somerville community doesn't have the greatest relationship with Tufts. But we want them to get to know us better so that they can see that we want to work with them. We're lucky here at Tufts to have so many valuable educational resources, and we want to share that with them."
In that vein, the International Club will launch the I-Club Medford School Project to promote a multicultural approach to education in area elementary schools. Through the project, members of the Tufts student body can sign up to prepare a lesson on the culture of a particular foreign nation. A list of these participants is then sent to the Medford grammar school teachers, who can call on the presenters as needed to supplement the existing classroom material with specialized cultural instruction.
For right now, though, the Parade of Nations gets top priority on the I-Club's list. "We just want to get our message out there," Hanna concludes. "We want to get people involved in the international community, and hopefully Parade of Nations will inspire people to do that."
