International Fashion Show

Fall 2014
OMAzing...
*Acronyms

International Fashion Show
OMA :Office of
Multicultural affairs

VIA: Values Ideas and
Arts

MAP: Multicultural
Affairs Programmer

BSU: Black Student
Union

AAA: Asian Awareness
Association

MUIA :Manchester
Inside this
newsletter:
History of the
2
Office of
Multicultural Affairs
Homecoming:
Alumni of Color
2
Eid Al-Adha
3
Expressions
3
Letter from the
Director..
4
A walk down
memory lane with
President
McFadden
4
Where Should the
Birds Fly?
5
Walking the Line!
6
Power Hour
7
FingerPrints
8
Upcoming Events
8
The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) proudly presented one of the numerous annual
events held by the office, the 8th International Fashion Show. The International Fashion Show was
introduced to the lovely campus of Manchester University (MU) so as to help expose students to the
traditional clothing of people from around the world, as well as numerous other cultural aspects such
as music and dance. The event has progressed and expanded over the years.
The 2014 International Fashion Show was made into a VIA* this year with the help of the
Peace Studies Department. A number of VIAs must be attended by students through out the year in
order to receive credit to graduate (40 in total). It was held in Cordier Auditorium on Nov 22nd as the
auditorium filled with students who did not know what to expect except that they had been told about a
night where clothing from around the world would be modeled. The clock struck 7pm and the lights
went out as the audience sat still in anticipation. This year’s theme was “Under the same moon”,
On cue, Mark Zinser (senior, Fort Wayne, IN) came on stage with an epic entrance as he
cartwheeled across the stage then stopped abruptly to head back and carry Caniece Leggett (junior,
Columbus, IN) on stage where they introduced themselves as the emcees for the night, with the moon
shining brightly behind them. The audience was encouraged to utilize social media outlets such as
Twitter and Yik Yak throughout the night to ask some questions.
Bolanle Oladokun (first year,
The stage was lit with an orange hue as music from the continent of Africa was played
Indianapolis, IN) student modeling
and models wearing clothing from the Ethiopian culture were introduced. Other clothing from cula yellow ball gown representing
tures, such as Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Ghana, were also presented. The traditional Nigerian
the Mexican celebration of
quinceañera .
outfits Ankara (AHN-kara) , which is an olive green dress with a matching head wrap called a Gele
(GAY-lay) Meanwhile the Ethiopian male clothing is known as Habesha Libs and the female dresses are
Habesha Kemis. The audience learned that Morocco is, not only in the continent of Africa, but is also an Arab country, that Ethiopia tends to have
clothing traditionally in white with etchings on them, that the Ghanaian culture seems to be quite colorful, and much more.. At the conclusion of the
presentation of the continent of Africa, a dance performance was led by Zumba instructor and Director of Intercultural Services, Michael Dixon. The
dance is a known in numerous parts of Africa known as “Azonto,” upbeat and surely would get your cardio going.
The emcees were impressed and began challenging each other to dance to the Azonto, when suddenly Caniece decided to challenge
Mark on a dance off where she danced to the Azonto and Mark decided to show off his skills of the Gangnam Style, a South Korean pop song that was
internationally recognized along with its dance. This was an introduction to the next continent, Asia. As the stage was lit with a pink hue as music
from the continent of Asia played in the background and models began to take the stage. First off was the nation of Palestine, located on the west of
the continent. Two male models showed up wearing a black and white Palestinian scarf known as a “Kufiya”( koe-FEE-yah). This scarf could be used
in the deserts to protect one’s face from the sand. It is worn specifically to represent the Palestinian Nationalist Movement. The female model wore
the traditional Palestinian dress called a “thawb” which is black with handmade pink etchings. For India, one model wore a beautiful, colorful, rich
“salwar” which consists of baggy pants and a long blouse known as a “kameez.” Also, a lovely blue and gold silk sari was worn, as well as numerous
Indian clothing. A break was brought by our very own MAP, Jaspreet Kaur. She is a Biology-Chemistry and Peace Studies double major. She was born
in Boston, raised in Fort Wayne of Punjabi heritage. She brought to the stage an upbeat Bollywood dance known as the Bhangera. To finish off the
continent of Asia, Japan and Vietnam were presented.
A red hue of passion lit the stage for the continent of Europe, as students strut their stuff bedecked in European soccer attire, specifically featuring the countries of Spain and Macedonia. Andrew and Stephanie showed us this part of the world’s adoration for the sport, and the
culture that has arisen from it. The atmosphere was further intensified when a state of complete and total darkness swallowed the stage, leaving
the audience in wonderment, left with only their sense of hearing as a Lebanese artist’s song flooded their ears, igniting Salwa Nubani’s spectacular
belly dancing performance native to her culture and background. This act concluded the continent of Europe, and brought us closer to home where
the Americas were presented, starting with Brazil and following up with Mexico. Bolanle blew us all away, dressed in a Mexican quinceanera dress
that is traditionally worn to the birthday celebration of a 15 year-old girl, who is entering womanhood, and Bolanle did it fashionably. The United
States was finally presented with M.U. wear from our very own Campus Store. “Go Spartans”! On that note of MU spirit, the night had come to an
end.
Page 2
History of the Office of Multicultural Affairs
AAFRO (African
Americans Forming
Rightful Objectives) circa
1970.
The 1960’s marked a
significant era in the U.S. for racial
equality, and Manchester University was no exception. Two great
events in Manchester’s history
took place in the late 60’s. On
February 1st in 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered what
would be his last address to a college campus.
On October 8, 1969, a
heated argument broke out during
an intramural basketball game
between a group of Caucasian
students and a group of African
American students. Tensions continued until later that night, a fight
broke out in Schwalm Hall, prompting several of the African American
students to leave campus. As they
headed west on Highway 13, these
students discussed their situation,
and came to the conclusion that they
ought to return to Manchester College campus and stand their ground.
Upon returning to North
Manchester, the students occupied
Petersime Chapel and utilized the
speaker system to declare that they
were unarmed and broadcast their
list of demands. The incident that
caused them initially to leave the
school was a symptom of a larger
issue facing our nation and our
school, and they were determined to turn that tide. Among
their petitions were the establishment of a cultural center and the
appointment of a full time counselor for minority students. Thus
was born the A.A.F.R.O. House.
Homecoming 2014: Alumni of Color
On Saturday, Oct 11, the Intercultural
Center was filled with many people. People who
once called this place home , people who call it
home, and people who are just learning to call it
home.
Alumni posing with
current students in front
of the former AAFRO
house location.
Each Alumni of Color took a turn talking about their story and experience at Manchester, what they thought may be helpful, and relevant to the students of today. Albert ‘Al’ Cotton ‘98
‘99 MA, Ricky T. Brown ‘77 , Lee Davis ‘80, Jasmine
Espino ‘14 , Mel Holmes ‘63, Brenda Jones ‘83,
James Lambert ‘75, Braden Nelson ‘13, Leslie Pettit
‘79, Romie Rush ‘79, and Wangdi Sherpa ‘89, each
with a significant story but each with a common
message . Some of the takeaways are that students
should take advantage of the many opportunities that
Manchester University has to offer. One must meet and
learn about all kinds of people. One must learn to take
what they can from their helpful professors, one should
always do his/her best, and try to have a good time.
The atmosphere of being taken back in what
felt like a chronological flashback had changed once the
last speaker spoke and people were ready to have some
dinner. The sound of chattering and eating arose. Then
the music was turned on and everyone began to dance
to some old and new tunes .
Page 3
Eid Al-Adha
Eid Al-Adha (ʿīd al-
They held the event in the
aḍḥā) is one of the few holidays
Students Activity Center in
faith celebrate. It is based on
sented about the history of the
the Hijri. Hijri is based on the
celebrated. People learned that
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Muslims perform a religious
the city of Mecca in Saudi Ara-
known as Hajj.
that Muslims of the Islamic
the Islamic Calendar known as
time the Muslims and their
had first made pilgrimage from
bia to the city of Medina. This
past October they celebrated
the1436th year of the calendar.
On October 5th
Calvin Ulrey where they preholiday and about the way it is
this holiday comes after the
pilgrimage done every year
“Eid” meaning holi-
family, neighbors, friends, and those in need.
The day starts with a person washing them-
selves, wearing new clothing, and going to the
mosque for a group prayer. Children get toys
and play. Elderly tend to give children and the
poor money. People visit each other and eat
many sweets. Katayif was one of the sweets that
AAA made for their event so. that students may
have a bite of Eid.
day and “Al-Adha” meaning
“sacrifice,” references back to
the story of Abraham who was
Asian Awareness Association
to sacrifice his son for God but
Eid Al-Adha to our campus.
to be sacrificed.
kindly brought the festivities of
Muslims sacrifice a lamb or a sheep on
the days before Eid and distribute the meat to
instead God sent down a lamb
Katayef sweets
Expressions
Black Student Union has been running an event called “Expressions” for years now.
Though it has gone through a few changes in its
name, overall it has been the same. When asking
the co-president of BSU, Junior Psychology major
Caniece Leggett about Expressions, she said,
“Expressions is an opportunity to be able to show
everyone who you are or what you love in front of
one of the most supporting groups on campus. It
is more than a karaoke or talent night it is truly a
moment where we want the real ‘you’ to shine for
everyone to see. Most people get up at Expressions and say this is their first time ever performing in front of anyone and to know that for some
reason they feel so comfortable doing that in front
of our group is what it is all about. As BSU we love
to encourage one another and one of our goals is
to embrace all different cultures and backgrounds
and I think Expressions is evident of that. This
event allows every culture (if they want) to do
that and I think it connects to black comedy for the first time ever and by doing so he
people because we weren't able to cracked a few jokes about the difference between
express ourselves for so long that “Black people being able to move” and his white
this shows that we as a people can friend “being able to move his eyebrows”. It was a
now express ourselves with free
very chill atmosphere, people were open. Jokes and
will now and comes out through a giggles were being shared and echoing the room
beautiful talent. I hope to see in the then would be silenced again as one after another
future more talents from many
beautiful talent came to show.
different cultures. “
This year at Expressions, a shocking amount and blend
of students came to show their
talents,. From singing, to playing the
piano, to stand-up comedy and
even an eyebrow dance shows (Yes an
EYEBROW dance show, a student is
able to move his eyebrows together
perfectly at the beat of a song). Of
Chris McAleavey (first
course this caused a rise of humor
year, Indianapolis, IN)
from the crowd and First-Year Chris
does stand up comedy
for the first time.
McAleavey decided to do stand-up
Page 4
Letter from the Director..
As I look out the window at all the snow on the ground, I ponder
about what we were able to accomplish here in the Office. We had a
great fall with a number of activities you’ll read in the upcoming pages. We welcomed our largest class in the last 30 years (441 stu-
dents). This, of course, meant new challenges on the horizon by making sure that we continue our high level of support for those students
wishing to utilize the services of the Center. Our programmatic efforts
were highlights this year by the International Fashion Show, a truly
theatrical education production that was offered as a VIA this semester. With 270+ students in the attendance as well a number of com-
munity members, it was definitely one of the highlights of the fall semester. We hope you enjoy this issue of OMAzing.
“The ultimate
measure of a man
is not where he
stands in moments
of comfort and
convenience, but
where he stands at
times of challenge
and controversy.”~
Martin Luther
King, Jr.
A walk down memory lane with President McFadden
“My first memory of traveling internationally was returning to the United
States from Indonesia. I don’t remember the trip to Indonesia because I was just a
couple of years old when my family moved there. For me, like Manchester’s international students, the U.S. was the place that was different from home.
Growing up in another country makes it easier for me to appreciate diversity.
I know that my way of living and my beliefs aren’t the right or only ways and beliefs,
but just those that I have experienced the most. Since moving back to the United
States in the 6th grade, I’ve had many opportunities to travel to other countries. During college, I took
a January session trip to Eastern Europe and saw both cultural wealth and economic poverty.
My favorite trips since coming to work at Manchester have been recruiting trips when I was
able to visit with the families of our students in their homes. On one of those trips, I visited a former
classmate living in Bethlehem and met two future Manchester students: Tarek (’15) and Lucas AlZoughbi (’17). They were little and rowdy and left a great impression!
I always encourage our U.S. students to spend as much time as they
can traveling and studying abroad. There is no better way to develop your
sense of being a citizen of the world than living in another country. The
same is true for international students who come to Manchester. They benefit tremendously from being here, but also make Manchester a richer place
to live and learn.”
Page 5
Where Should the Birds Fly? (Oct 22nd) VIA
Gaza Strip is found on the western coast of Palestine. Gaza has a population of 1,816,379 and an area of 360
sq. km. Though it is politically unified with the West Bank,
the two are not contiguous, but lie on opposite sides of the
modern state of Israel. Israel was founded in 1948 when the
British Mandate tuned over the Palestinian territories, which
they had been occupying, to Jewish groups coming mainly
from Europe, and allowed them to invade Palestine and establish a new country there. Initially, the British Mandate gave Jewish settlers roughly half
“The UN took a strong
of Palestine, but in 1948 the newly-made Israeli citizens fought their Arab neighbors and
stand against
took a much larger portion of the land, and again in 1967 Israel took control of the Golan
apartheid; and over the
Heights, West Bank, and Gaza Strip. The Golan Heights were annexed to Israel, and
years, an international
though the West Bank and Gaza Strip remain under the ostensible control of the Palesconsensus was built,
tinian government, the PLO, they remain under Israeli military occupation and continue
which helped to bring
to lose territory to Israel in piecemeal through Israeli settlements. In 2008, Israel placed
an economic blockade on Gaza which lead to a siege that prevented people from leaving an end to this iniquitous
or entering easily. They had no more means of trade with the West Bank and they were
system. But we know
put on a strict diet as imports were being controlled. It has been a constant battle. As
too well that our
Israel has held many operations of attack on Gaza in seek of “terrorist” groups. Through freedom is incomplete
these operations many civilians have been killed.
without the freedom of
Fida Qishta is a Palestinian from Gaza who is a journalist and decided she will recthe Palestinians.”
ord her daily life in Gaza during the operations, such as operation Caste Lead and show
―Nelson Mandela
the world what has happened to her people by the cruel oppression of Israel. She was
invited onto Manchester University’s campus to show case her film, Where Should the
Birds Fly as a VIA. The film looks at the effects of the 22-day Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip four years
ago, right after President Obama was elected the first time. This was showed as a VIA credit as well.
When asking sophomore Communications and Peace Studies major, Lucas Al-Zoughbi, who is also
Palestinian from the city of Beit lahem (Bethlehem), about Fida he said the following: “Fida is a wonderful
person! The most important part about bringing her here was that she was here to tell a human story and
not the political propaganda people argue about. She showed the true state of things in Gaza. The fact is
that people are oppressed and it doesn't matter who started it or who is going to stop it, we merely MUST
stop it. From talking to Fida you learn what a kind and passionate woman she is, she has hopes and dreams
like any other person. She's been through so much in her life and was deprived of so much, yet she does not
walk around with "victim" across her face, rather she walks with resilience and struggle. She does not ask
for people to feel sorry for her, in fact she gives me more hope than I had before. The importance of learning about this conflict and attempting to come to a just peace is not only to the Palestinians, but also the Israelis and even the rest of the world. Currently many people think it has been going on for thousands of
years, and believe that it is not possible to solve it. As many leaders around the world have said similar to
Nelson Mandela who said something along the lines of "Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of
the Palestinians.”
Page 6
At the center is Michael Dixon, Director of Inter- Executive board members working together and on the right is the picture they took after
cultural Services . From left to right is Salwa Nubaaccomplishing numerous tasks assigned at the low ropes course at Epworth Forest.
ni , Selamawit Nicolai, Andrew Burgess, Elizabeth
McKenny, Heba Nubani and Jaspreet Kaur., these
are the Multicultural Affairs Programmers.
Walking the Line (Executive Board Retreat)!
Each August, leadership members
of OMA descend on Manchester University’s
campus a few days early to bond and prepare
for the road ahead. This year, the Multicultural Affairs Programmers and Executive Board
members of the five OMA sponsored clubs
met on August 17th and headed out to Epworth
Forest Conference Center in North Webster,
IN for the E-Board Retreat.
The retreat site offered plenty of
opportunities for students who hadn’t seen
each other all summer to reconnect and get
better acquainted with their new E-Board
members. They cooked their meals together,
sat around a campfire, and kayaked, swam,
and generally horsed around in the nearby
lake.
In the midst of all this play, OMA
leadership got down to business. The retreat
marked the first occasion of the fall semester
when E-Boards convened to discuss programming. To help them get started, as well as
provide training for new recruits, the Director
of Intercultural Services created a game for
the entire group to play to practice planning
and budgeting an event. The results were
wildly inventive. This game was wellreceived, and students left that evening feel-
ing excited and motivated for the semester to
come.
Passion is only one ingredient in a
successful organization. Other ingredients includes team-work, to develop communication, and
collaboration skills. The group headed out to a
nearby rope obstacle course. In attempting to
cross obstacles as a unit, students learned to lean
on one another (literally and figuratively).
The skills developed during the retreat
helped guide the student organizations in creating
fun and educational programming throughout the
semester. For a look at what they came up with,
keep reading below!
Page 7
Power Hour
Each semester, Multicultural Affairs Programmers choose a controversial
topic that interests them and investigate the issue more deeply. A Power Hour is
an hour-long discussion in which they present the necessary background information and facilitate a debate around the topic. Power Hours enhance students
learning about the world around them and give them an opportunity to find their
voice.
Is Legalizing Marijuana Worth It? (Oct12),
Hosted by Jaspreet Kaur with the collaboration of Phil Keim, Peace
Studies Coordinator, as well as Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, this Power
Hour focused on the medical and psychological effects of the use of cannabis,
along with the ramifications of various prohibitions on its use. Though most students were in favor of legalizing and regulating recreational cannabis, their reasons were varied, ranging from human rights implications to economic or cultural
concerns.
Creativity or Madness? (Nov 2),
Hosted by Heba Nubani with the collaboration of Dr. Scott Humphries, Assistant Professor of Music. This Power Hour focused on the use of drugs in the
arts. Ms. Nubani and Dr. Humphries presented on the historical use by artists of
psychedelic drugs and the role of drugs in pop culture. Students were asked to
consider whether drugs can play a role in enhancing creativity and if so, whether
they caused more harm than good.
Did African Colonization Prompt Development or Disrupt It? (Nov 9),
Hosted by Selamawit Nicolai with the collaboration of Dr. Bensen
Onyeji, Professor of Political Science. Using a video clip and her own expertise
in the area, Ms. Nicolai began the hour with a brief presentation on the history of
colonization in African countries. For this discussion, participants broke into
small groups to talk about the possible pros and cons of colonization in Africa
primarily from the African point of view and then reconvened to share their ideas.
Social Media: A Blessing or a curse to Society? (Nov 16),
Hosted by Andrew Burgess with the collaboration of Dr. Michelle Calka,
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. This discussion centered on the
role social media plays in society, including its sociological impact and function
within grassroots movements, such as the Arab Spring and student protests in
Venezuela.
Are All Religions Equally Valid? (Nov 24),
c
Hosted by Elizabeth M Kenney with the collaboration of Dr. Kate Eisenbise-Crell, Professor of Religion. Students learned about the distinction between church-type groups, sects, and alternative religious movements (cults),
along with various attitudes towards religions outside of one’s own referred to in
religious studies as exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism, and relativism. Participants considered whether they ought to tolerate another person’s beliefs when
those beliefs conflict with their own values or seem to pose a danger to that person.
Page 8
Fingerprints
Any concerns or suggestions,
Email the editors :
Zander Willoughby is a first year Political Science and French major with minors in International Studies and Peace Studies. Born on 20 of April 1996, his hometown is Granville, Mich-
Salwa Nubani :
sanubani2016@spartans.
manchester.edu
Elizabeth McKenney :
EAMcKenney2017@spartans.
manchester.edu
igan, USA. He has travelled mainly within the U.S. a few trips out west and around the Midwest. He has been to Finland and Estonia.
His hobbies include language learning, music, rugby, hunting, fishing, general out-
doorsy stuff, etc His favorite authors are, Reza Aslan and Dan Brown. When asked why he said “Dr. Aslan
has inspired me to study more about Islam and religion in general in order to educate people against Islamaphobia. Dan Brown also fed my hunger for learning and is just a great writer in general. Zander is
very active on our campus. He s part of many clubs such as Student Senate, Constitution Committee, Student Budget Board, Campus Democrats Vice President, Campus Interfaith Board, Peace Studies Institute
Mailing address:
Non-Peace Studies Major Liaison, Kenopocomoco Coalition E-Board, Chimer, Campus Safety Student Pa-
605 E. College Ave.
North Manchester, IN
46962
trol. Zander is also the Secretary General of the Manchester University Model United Nations program.
Part of his interaction with people from other countries is also that he has an interest in learning
languages. Zander speaks English, Spanish and Finnish fairly well. He is also learning French, and slowly
learning Russian and Levantine Arabic. When asked about the Intercultural Center, Zander said “the Intercultural Center means a lot for me. Not only is it a great place to watch movies, take a break, or have a
(260) 982-5423
chance to cook for myself, the Intercultural center is a place where I am able to meet people from all over
the world that have a wealth of knowledge and a different overall view of the world.” The Office of Multicultural Affairs really appreciates Zander’s profound interaction with the Intercultural Center, the office,
Find us on
Follow us
and the OMA family. We would also like to acknowledge Zander for being such an active voice and presence on our campus.
Upcoming Events
Facebook: Manchester
University Office of
Multicultural Affairs
Twitter: OMAatMU
Instagram: OMAatMU
Jan 28
International Orientation
Apr 30 ASA Sexual Health Speaker
Feb 7
MUIA VDay Dance
May 3 My Experience at Manchester
Feb 9
BSU Expressions
May 4 HU Cinco de Mayo
Feb 23
HU: the Dominican
Republic Independence
Feb 28 BSU Soul Food Dinner
Mar 6
ASA’s Reggae Dance
please visit our
website :
http://www.manchester.edu/OSD/OMA/
or scan the QR code on the left.
Mar 26 MUIA Game Night
Mar 26 AAA– Karaoke Night
Apr 2
AAA– Jeopardy
Website
Apr 12 International Buffet
Apr 17 AAA Arabian Nights
Dance
Apr 20 HU Dia de Los Ninos
Apr 23 MUIA Cultural Exchange
Apr 25 MUIA OMAzing Race
The Intercultural Center