MARIST
April 2016 March 2016
ISSUE #12
CENTER FOR
MULTICULTURAL
AFFAIRS
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
IN THIS ISSUE:
STAFF:
THE ART OF HULA
ASIAN/PACFIC ISLANDERS
RWANDA
MON AFRIQUE
SENIORS
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
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Iris Ruiz-Grech
Director
Mary Canto Rice
Assistant Director
Karen Tomkins-Tinch
Coordinator,
International Student Programs
Angel L. Arriaga
Counselor/Tutor
Coordinator
Siraj Bah
Counselor
Cara Sebest
Student Editor
Cailin Byrne
Student Media Assistant
CONTACT:
Center for Multicultural Affairs
(CMA)
Cannavino Library
Suite 337
845.575.3204
multicultural@marist.edu
Visit us on Facebook at
Marist Center for Multicultural Affairs
www.facebook.com/maristcollegecma
THE ART OF HULA
The swish of hand-dyed skirts, the rhythmic beat
pounding through your bones, the sweet smell of lei
drifting through the air. As a young Native Hawaiian
woman, hula has always held a special place in my
heart. Heading into my senior year at Marist, I have
discovered that this graceful form of art is a mystery
for many people.
Hula is a traditional dance that is unique to the
islands and people of Hawai‘i. Dancers use their
bodies to represent different oli (chants) and mele
(song). Here at Marist, most girls danced ballet when they were younger. Not me. Like
most little girls in Hawai‘i, I danced hula. Going to practice every week and learning the
synchronized dance moves was a right of passage. At first you forgot the movements and
didn’t even know the meaning of rhythm. You wanted to be like the beautiful, elegant older
women, whose hips swayed perfectly in time with the music. Eventually, it became second
nature to bend your knees, point your feet in a 45-degree angle, and throw your hair in the
classic hula bun. Dancing hula gave me another family, a community I could share my culture
with. At baby parties, weddings or even days at the beach, some aunty or uncle would start
playing a ukulele and it was guaranteed that someone knew the dance for that song.
Having been banned by missionaries in the past, hula and the Hawaiian culture experienced
a renaissance in the 1970s. Today, hula is found all over the world- from the coast of California
to the cities of Japan. But no matter how far hula travels, Hawai‘i will always be home. I
haven’t danced hula in years now, but it still reconnects me with my culture. Anytime I watch
hula dancers on TV or hear Hawaiian music, I am that little girl again. The one who didn’t
know how to put her hair in a bun and who was always braiding ti leaf in the car on the way
to practice. I may not know all the right moves and I definitely don’t remember all of the
complicated chants, but hula still holds a special place in my heart. As King David Kalākaua
said, “Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.”
By guest writer Leeana Batungbacal
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MAY IS
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
HERITAGE MONTH
JASON MOMOA
(1979-)
ACTOR
• Born in Honolulu, Hawai’i to Native Hawaiian father
• Discovered by a fashion designer in 1998 and began a modeling
career
• In 1999, was cast in the TV show Baywatch Hawaii as series
regular
• He has gone on to act in other TV shows and films, most notably
as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones
• Most recently he has portrayed Aquaman in the film Batman v
Superman, Aquaman’s debut live action theatrical appearance
PRINCESS KA’IULANI
(1875-1899)
HAWAIIAN ACTIVIST
• Known as the last princess of the Kingdom of Hawai’i
• Born to Princess Likelike and Scottish-born Archibald Scott
Cleghorn
• After the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, Ka’iulani traveled
many times to US to advocate for the monarchy and the rights of her
people
• Met with President Cleveland a number of times about restoring her
kingdom
• Died tragically at the age of 23 from illness
KAL PENN
(1977-)
ACTOR AND POLITICIAN
• Born to Gujarati immigrants from India
• His birth name is Kalpen Modi
• Began career as an actor and is known for prominent roles in the TV
show House MD as Dr. Kutner and Kumar in the Harold and Kumar
film series
• He quit acting and joined the Obama administration as the Associate
Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement
• He served as a liaison for Asian American and Pacific Islander
Communities
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EVENTS:
RWANDAN
GENOCIDE
REMEMBERANCE
On April 7th many members of the Marist community
came together to recognize the unfaltering strength of
Rwanda’s people after their devastating genocide against
the Tutsi that took place in 1994. The commemoration was
organized completely by students and sponsored by The
Center of Multicultural Affairs and the United Nations
Club. The organizers were either from Rwanda or had the
opportunity to travel there through Marist. It was a threefold event with the purpose of remembering and honoring
Rwanda, educating the audience about the country’s history
and culture, and celebrating the great strides of progress
the country has made since its times of struggle.
Each of the student representatives spoke on behalf of
one of the three segments. The commemoration began by
first educating the audience about the genocide history and
the events that led up to the devastation. This was followed
by a moving moment of silence illuminated with candles
held by every audience member. It was an emotional
experience that brilliantly highlighted the unbreakable
spirit of the Rwandan culture. The students explained the
remarkable progress the country has made in terms of
building unity, reconciling, and instituting equal rights.
Today, Rwanda has made it apparent that it has no
intentions of slowing down on its massive strides forward.
We were able to see the country’s plans and goals for the
year 2020, and they are well on their way. Rwanda now
has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, and
its leaders plan to use their new successful infrastructure
to develop their tourism industry and continue to develop
their economy, while also preserving important cultural
traditions and values.
By Cara Sebest
Look for our events on posters around
campus, in your e-mail, in the Marist
Portal, or by visiting our Facebook at:
facebook.com/maristcollegecma
COMMEMORATIVE DAYS:
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April 1
April 19
April 22
April 22
April 30
May 1
May 1
May 4
May 5
May 8
May 12
May 21
May 30
-April Fool’s Day
-Mahavir Jayanti
-Passover Begins
-Earth Day
-Passover Ends
-International Labor Day
-Orthodox Easter
-Yom Hashoah (Holocaust
Remembrance Day)
-Cinco de Mayo
-Mother’s Day
-Independance Day (Israel)
-Buddha Purnima (India)
-Memorial Day
COMING UP NEXT:
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June 1
June1
June 2
June 4
June 6
June 6
June 12
June 16
June 20
June 20-22
-Western Australia Day
-Buddha Purnima (Buddha’s Birthday)
-National Day (Italy)
-Corpus Christi (Brazil)
-Memorial Day (South Korea)
-National Day (Sweden)
-Russia Day
-Youth Day (South Africa)
-Midsummer’s Day (Sweden)
-Dragon Boat Festival (China)
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MON AFRIQUE
April 15th marked the 6th annual Mon Afrique event. This was
the largest Mon Afrique yet, and due to the increase in size and spirit,
the event was moved to the Grey Gym in the McCann Center. The
gym was transformed into a festive setting for the celebration. Mon
Afrique first began by Marist 2014 graduate, Emilia Lartey. Lartey
organized the event during her time at Marist until her senior year
when it became her capping project. Shortly after, a campus wide
committee was formed comprised of members of the Center for
Multicultural Affairs, Student Activities, Student Affairs, Marist
College Gospel Choir, and a student committee to continue the
event. The current scale of Mon Afrique and the amount of love
and care that continues to go into it would make Lartey proud.
Mon Afrique is a celebration of the different cultures of
Africa, and this year’s theme was “The Royal Dynasty.” The event
consisted of a keynote speaker, dancing, poetry, music, fashion,
and an abundance of traditional foods. The evening began with an
introductory video of several Marist students sharing their thoughts on what it means to them to be African, a crucial part of the
Mon Afrique experience. Bryanna Adams and Marist Student Body President, Timos Pietris, emceed the event and introduced
Marist Executive Vice President, Geoffrey Brackett. In his welcome remarks, he recognized the hard work that was put into
the event and explained what the night would bring. President Murray, an early supporter of the event, was traveling on college
business, but sent remarks complimenting the growth and success of the event
over the years.
As the night progressed the audience was able to watch a musical performance
by students Naya Onyiuke and Gabriel Odidson, who wrote an original song
celebrating Africa. Keynote speaker, Ofo Ezeugwu, also came to speak about his
growth as a person and a businessman. He is the CEO and Cofounder of Whose
Your Landlord, a company dedicated to sharing peer reviews about landlords in
order to ensure a customer’s satisfaction with pricing, safety, responsiveness, etc.
His personal mantra is to “Live at the top of your confidence.” This motto has
carried him through all of his successes. He stressed the importance of passing
this information down to all students during this time in our lives. A Rwandan
cultural dance was then performed, followed a performance by the Marist College
Gospel Choir under the direction of David Burns. They sung several different
songs that allowed the audience to get up, dance, and feel the energy in the room.
There was an intermission for an assortment of delicious ethnic foods
followed by some inspirational words from Ebi Olodiama. Ebi told an original
fictional story about a young Nigerian girl who had always dreamed about
coming to America. When she got here, she realized the country was not what
she expected and felt overwhelmingly homesick. Her family reminded her of her dreams, and she began to realize that good
things happen when you make them happen. Ebi’s tale was inspired by the real accounts of African international students and
was a remarkable example of perseverance and bravery. Bryanna Adams then delivered an original poem entitled Our Story. The
piece placed importance on recognizing the true meaning of African culture in the past, present, and future.
Mon Afrique came to a close with a slow and rhythmic performance by the Royalty Dancers and a fashion show of opulent
traditional garments. Cornelius Krapah, a leader of the Mon Afrique student committee, delivered the final words of thanks and
concluded another successful year of Mon Afrique. It was clear that everyone, regardless of their heritage, left the event with
a greater sense of cultural connection and awareness. Mon Afrique has a very unique way of bringing audiences together and
promoting the importance of cultural tradition in the Marist community and far beyond.
Congratulations on another fun and informative year of Mon Afrique!
By Cara Sebest
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MON AFRIQUE
All pictures taken by Kibria Biswas
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SENIORS
International Seniors:
Basel Labib Ghaleb Alnashashibi (Jordan): Digital Media Major, Computer Science and
Studio Art Minors
Fredik Bjerke (Norway): Business Administration/Finance major
Tudor R Brata (Romania): Business Administration/International Business Major
Parikshit Das (India): Media Studies and Production/Film and Television Major
Julien T Hochner (Japan): Business Administration/Finance Major, Global Studies and
Psychology Minors
Richard Horn (Germany): Business Administration/Finance Major, Global Studies and
Psychology Minors
Yu Jiang (China): Fashion Merchandising/Fashion Business Major, Business Minor
Hao Li (China): Fashion Merchandising/Fashion Business Major, Business Minor
Mengyuan Li (China): Fashion Design Major
Ngone Lo (Senegal): Applied Mathmatics Major
Aleksandra R Simeonova (Bulgaria): English/Writing Major, Paralegal Certificate
Ariana Vassilopoulou (Cyprus): Communication/Public Relations Major
Huliang Xu (China): Business Administration/International Business Major
HEOP Seniors:
Jaquan Arzu: Political Science Major, Public Affairs Minor
Mina Chen: Business Administration/Marketing Major
Francisco Cruz: Psychology Major, Spanish Minor
Majay Donzo: Criminal Justice and Psychology Double Major, Political Science Minor
Eury Fabian: Media Studies/Film and Television and Spanish Double Major, Latin
American/Caribbean Studies Minor
Deion Hicks: Criminal Justice Major, Psychology Minor
Kaitlyn Jobe: Biomedical Science Major, Psychology Minor
Kelsey Kotzur: Fashion Merchandising/Fashion Business Major, Psychology Minor
Ivanna Lahoz: Psychology Major, Social Work and Spanish Minors
Amber McComb: Communication/Public Relations and Sports Communication Major
Orlanie Peña: Fashion Merchandising/Product Development Major
Savanna Staccio: Fine Arts/Studio Art Major, Communication Minor
Joseph Thompson: Information Technology and Systems/Technology Major
Alexis Watson: English/Writing Major, Philosophy and Psychology Minors, Paralegal
Certificate
Christopher Zillig: Criminal Justice Major, Psychology Minor
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SENIORS
AEP Seniors:
Yumiko Chavez-Cortes: English/Writing Major, Philosophy Minor, Paralegal Certificate
Maasai Ephriam: Business Adminstration/Marketing Major, Global Studies Minor
Donovan Johnson: Business Administration/Marketing Major, Economics Minor
Andre Nettles: Criminal Justice Major
Andrew Nettles: Criminal Justice Major
Soribel Nuñez: Criminal Justice and Spanish Double Majors, Psychology and Latin
American/Caribbean Studies Minors
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For further information:
Contact the Marist College
Center for Multicultural Affairs
E-mail: multicultural@marist.edu
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maristcollegecma
Instagram: @maristcma
Phone: (845) 575 3204
Fax: (845) 575 3195
www.marist.edu/academics/multicultural
Marist College
Center for Multicultural Affairs (CMA)
A Division of Student Academic Affairs
Cannavino Library Suite 337
Poughkeepsie, NY
12601-1387