Tufts University culture and performing arts groups came to the Cohen Auditorium stage Friday night to take part in the annual Parade of Nations Culture/Fashion Show, presented by the International Club.
Started in 1990, the event represents the culmination of Intercultural Week, a celebration honoring the international components of Tufts that gives students a chance to share aspects of their cultures through song, dance and theater performances.
According to senior Priscilla Alvarez, International Club vice president and director of the event, the Parade of Nations seeks to diminish biases by exposing students to different cultures.
"It's very important to have cultural awareness," she said. "If you're not open to other cultures you can't reach out; you can't help."
The event began with a video presentation by the International Club entitled "Stereotypes: a Short Documentary." The video addressed the way in which many people use harmful stereotypes in order to differentiate themselves from members of other cultures.
Later, campus organizations, including the Chinese Students Association's Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe, the Irish Dance Club, La Salsa and Explosion Latina performed dances. Aftab, a non-campus-affiliated Persian dance company, also performed.
On the musical side of the event, the band BaShuk played two Israeli songs and Guilty as Charged played two songs honoring Nepal and Brazil. Both bands are from Tufts.
Pan-national and non-national performances by B.E.A.T.S., Turbo, the Tufts Tap Ensemble and Spirit of Color took place as well.
Aside from the performances, an international fashion show highlighted traditional and contemporary global fashions.
As a further expression of the event's commitment to culture, the 15th Annual Oliver Chapman Leadership and Community Service Award was presented to senior Sebastian Chaskel during the event.
The award goes to a senior who best exemplifies active community service in the international community both on- and off-campus and dates back to an attempt in 1993 to honor the May 1992 passing of Oliver Chapman, a Panamanian Tufts student who was involved in the International Orientation program and was an executive officer in the Latin American Society.
A committee comprised of International Club officers, leaders of other cultural groups and Jane Etish-Andrews, the director of the International Center, chose the winner.
Chaskel was selected for, among other activities, his involvement in Pangea, the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and the Somerville Community Language Bank, which offers online translation services.
He said that what pleased him most about receiving the award was that his peers selected him to win. "It shows that there are people around you who admire you, which, for me, is pretty exciting," he said.
Chaskel said that he first came to Tufts because of the school's reputation for having a global focus and, since arriving, he has tried to take full advantage of the university's various internationally oriented activities.
"It makes me feel like a global citizen," he said. "That's something you can't get many other places."
This year, Tufts alum Dr. Hamid Salamipour (LA '92), a former roommate and friend of Chapman and participant in Tufts' first-ever Parade of Nations, delivered a speech commemorating Chapman's value to the Tufts community prior to the presentation of the award.
Although the event was well attended, the audience was mostly comprised of international students.
"You can see that it's a lot of the international community and their friends," sophomore Monica Malowney, who worked backstage at the event, said.
According to Etish-Andrews, this should not be the case. "I wish more people would come," she said. "It's a great opportunity for people to see a variety of cultures under one roof."
