International Week Kicks Off

By Broadside Staff Writer Kristen White

Mason: Meet the World.

That was the theme for this year’s 29th Annual International Week that took place April 4-11. The Opening Ceremony and Celebration was held last Monday in the Johnson Center Atrium below the many hanging, vibrant flags that represented a wide range of cultures.

Amy Moffitt, the assistant director of the Office of International Programs and Services, took the stage to proudly declare the start of the festivities.

“This week gives an opportunity for those students to celebrate their traditions and for our campus to celebrate what their experiences and perspectives add to us as a university community,” Moffitt said.

The first performer was Robert Mitchell, who played the bagpipes for the entire building to hear. After his cultural performance, Moffitt introduced all of the international students that came to the opening ceremony. At least 12 countries were represented in this parade across the stage as Moffitt announced each student’s name, country, and major. Students represented Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, South Africa, China, the United Kingdom, Persia, the Philippines, and many more.

Each student walking across the stage held their head high as cheers from the audience erupted when their country was recognized. Pink, green, purple, and many other colorful clothes and outfits were worn to depict the country’s styles and culture.

“Diversity is a fact of life. However, some of us are raised in ways that do not uphold diversity as a positive cultural value. The student diversity at Mason allows all students to come in continuous contact with those people whom they might have identified as ‘other,’” said Moffitt.

The bagpipes were played again and Lauren Long, the director of Student Activities, and Judith Green, the director of the Office of International Programs and Services, stepped onto the stage to share some thoughts about the importance of International Week.

“These events during this week will be great for bringing all of our students together,” Long said. Since Mason is known as one of the most diverse schools in the nation, it comes as little surprise to the Mason community that International Week encompasses the many different backgrounds of Mason students.

“As of Fall 2008, [Mason] has over 1,700 students from 129 countries in visa statuses other than green card [holder] and U.S. citizen, not to mention hundreds of other students who are first or second generation immigrants to the U.S.,” said Moffitt.

Biology major Nauman Shahid, who is the Chairman of the International Week committee and has American and Pakistani roots, expressed his love of this celebration.

“This is a long tradition here at [Mason] and we are so lucky to have many culture representations,” said Shahid.

All of the activities like the dance competition, the culture nights, the fashion show and other planned events for the week were presented here.

The excitement continued as theater major Ahmad Maaty was invited to belly dance for the audience and those passing by between classes. With a shiny green outfit and a yellow sash, Maaty danced back and forth across the stage while the audience clapped and cheered for him. He came out into the audience and danced between the tables of the atrium and people standing near the stage showed their enthusiasm for his cultural dance. With a cane as a prop, he finished his performance with a huge smile on his face.

The event was an exciting kick off to the week’s festivities and ended with a dancing performance and free “Mason: Meet the World Here” T-shirts for everyone.

“Cultural differences are very real and sometimes very deep, and being together in one community gives students the opportunity to deal with these differences in constructive ways,” said Moffitt.