The Journal

Issue date: 4/21/05 Section: Culture

Media Credit: JENNIFER WENGER / Contributing Photographer Flamenco dancer Kristina Martinez combines her performance with live guitar accompaniment.

Media Credit: JENNIFER WENGER / Contributing Photographer member of Pandora´s Matchbox wows the crowd with fire-breathing tricks April 15.

Media Credit: JENNIFER WINGER / Contributing Photographer Aalim Belly Dancers wiggle their hips to Middle Eastern dance.

Several Webster University students and faculty were pulled in front of the large crowd at International Night April 15, encouraged by an eager throng of belly dancers to wiggle their hips and wave their arms in a snakelike motion.

Colette Cummings, associate dean of student affairs, attempted to talk her way out of participating, but to no avail. She was eventually pulled to her feet by one of the dancers.

"I think I was making a fool of myself," Cummings said. "They always pick on me, they know me."

An array of international food, belly dancers, fire performers, African dancers, singers, a flamenco performance and an international fashion show made up the fifth annual Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs' International Night 2005: Festival du Soleil and The Rosita Awards for Foreign Language Excellence.

For the first time, the event was held outside on the Quad as opposed to previous years when the event was held in the Grant Gymnasium, UC Commons or cafeteria.

This was also a first for the Rosita Awards for Foreign Language Excellence to be combined with International Night.

"The Rosita Awards were also scheduled for the same evening," said Brandyn Woodard, international student adviser and coordinator of the Multicultural Center. "I decided to work with them and not against them."

Three $500 Rosita Awards were presented to students completing their fourth semester of a foreign language. Sophomore Cayla Clark, a Spanish major, won a Rosita Award for German and Spanish; sophomore Brendan Spencer, an undecided major, won for Japanese and senior José Viaud, a double major in computer information technology and economics, received an award for French studies.

Viaud said he will be using the $500 award to pay for French classes while he studies abroad at the Webster University-Geneva campus this summer.

Junior Benedicte Hovda and freshman Benny Roberts hosted the event, offering the crowd international humor between performances.

Hovda, a psychology major, spent her childhood traveling from country to country due to her father's position as a diplomat for the United Nations. Hovda transferred from the Webster University-Geneva campus her sophomore year.

"I think that people should be more aware of other people's cultures," Hovda said. "It shows the university's cultural diversity and that although you don't see a lot of the international students around all the time, they are there."

Campus Dining , the Japanese Student Association and Society for International Languages and Cultures (SILC) brought international food to the table. The Japanese Student Association brought karaage (fried chicken) and chikuwa (fish), while SILC contributed Vietnamese, Thai, Peruvian, Mexican and German dishes. Student volunteers manned the buffet line.

Around 7 p.m., food ran out at the three-hour event. There was also a cash bar, and free beverages were offered.

"It was interesting and different and delicious, better than
spaghetti," sophomore Joe Klueh, a film production major, said of the food variety.

Woodard was pleased with the food available as well as the crowd that came to dine and enjoy the evening.

"We had a very long line for food," Woodard said. "We had people sitting at tables and sitting in the grass."

The sights and sounds of the event drew passersby. Reem Abeidoh, graduate assistant for International Student Affairs, said an estimated 200 people attended.

"I didn't even know it was happening this year," said sophomore Sarah Laurentius, an art major. "I just kind of walked in on it."

The pleasant weather allowed attendees to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Some performers, including Spirit of Angela, an African drum and dance troupe, performed barefoot.

"Somehow I have been blessed to have fantastic weather every time I've done an event outside," Woodard said.

During the fashion show, international students showed off their native clothing. One international student even represented American culture, wearing a designer T-shirt and jeans.

December graduate Barsha Tuladhar, from Nepal, was a fashion show participant.

"It's International Night, you gotta dress up," Tuladhar said. "For us, it gives us a chance to show our culture, and for the American students, it gives them a chance to see what other nationalities wear."

The finale of the show presented members of Pandora's Matchbox, a group that wowed the audience with fire tricks. Two of the fire performers were Webster students.

At several points in the performance, the grass caught fire, as did the performers' clothing. Two safeties stood on either side of the performers, holding wet bath towels in case of a fire emergency.

Jim Malina, one of the performers, joked about the flame circle on the Quad. However, some members of the administration failed to see the humor.

"It's not a big deal," Malina said. "Grass grows back."

At the close of the fire presentation, one fire performer addressed the crowd; "Thank you for letting us set your nice campus on fire."

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