2008 Woodie Awards
Worldly women dispel cultural misconceptions
By: Lee Rice
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Lifestyle
- Page 1 of 1
Despite the low attendance of 20 students at the Women of the World lecture held Nov. 7 in the University Center Sunnen Lounge, those involved still say their message is one that needs to be heard.
For Women of the World, four female students from Venezuela, Myanmar, Vietnam and India were selected to answer questions about their native countries.
Tu Tu Htun, a senior advertising and marketing major who was representing Myanmar, works as a program assistant at the Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs. When she heard about the event and realized that she had the time to do it, she volunteered.
"I decided that it was something I wanted to do," she said. "I thought that it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on how women in my country act and how they are treated."
Wenceslaus P'Oryem, director of International Student Affairs, said the goal of such programs is to educate students and staff about the realities of life for people from around the world. This event was meant to discuss issues particular to women, such as abortion rights and feminism.
"The questions were mostly meant to deal with universal women's issues, things that people are interested in here and there," P'Oryem said. "I gave the questions to the girls who were involved so they could review them and see whether or not they thought they were relevant, and they suggested some new ones too."
P'Oryem said all the students involved were volunteers.
"I said that it would be a great opportunity to teach others about their country," P'Oryem said. "I also said that it was a good opportunity to speak in front of a group, which is a good experience to have in college."
Sabrina Reverón, a freshman international relations major, was asked to represent Venezuela. Reverón said she chose to participate because she believed the lecture would present a unique educational
opportunity.
"It seems interesting that there is more going on in the world than what's happening right here," she said. "I was hoping that by doing this, I would be helping people to open their minds to what is happening in other countries around
the world."
Kalika Sood, the freshman management major representing India, said she was hoping the event would allow her an opportunity to answer any questions people had about
her homeland.
"I decided to speak because there are a lot of misconceptions about my country, like the belief that all marriages are arranged," Sood said. "I thought I would just go on up and try to clear up as much as I could. I did the best I could using what I knew. I think that most people view the world like they see it in movies or in popular culture. Basically, I tried to show that everyone is different."
For Women of the World, four female students from Venezuela, Myanmar, Vietnam and India were selected to answer questions about their native countries.
Tu Tu Htun, a senior advertising and marketing major who was representing Myanmar, works as a program assistant at the Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs. When she heard about the event and realized that she had the time to do it, she volunteered.
"I decided that it was something I wanted to do," she said. "I thought that it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on how women in my country act and how they are treated."
Wenceslaus P'Oryem, director of International Student Affairs, said the goal of such programs is to educate students and staff about the realities of life for people from around the world. This event was meant to discuss issues particular to women, such as abortion rights and feminism.
"The questions were mostly meant to deal with universal women's issues, things that people are interested in here and there," P'Oryem said. "I gave the questions to the girls who were involved so they could review them and see whether or not they thought they were relevant, and they suggested some new ones too."
P'Oryem said all the students involved were volunteers.
"I said that it would be a great opportunity to teach others about their country," P'Oryem said. "I also said that it was a good opportunity to speak in front of a group, which is a good experience to have in college."
Sabrina Reverón, a freshman international relations major, was asked to represent Venezuela. Reverón said she chose to participate because she believed the lecture would present a unique educational
opportunity.
"It seems interesting that there is more going on in the world than what's happening right here," she said. "I was hoping that by doing this, I would be helping people to open their minds to what is happening in other countries around
the world."
Kalika Sood, the freshman management major representing India, said she was hoping the event would allow her an opportunity to answer any questions people had about
her homeland.
"I decided to speak because there are a lot of misconceptions about my country, like the belief that all marriages are arranged," Sood said. "I thought I would just go on up and try to clear up as much as I could. I did the best I could using what I knew. I think that most people view the world like they see it in movies or in popular culture. Basically, I tried to show that everyone is different."
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