India Week offers information, dance parties

The Cultural Association of India celebrated its 50th anniversary with a week of activities

By Eve Edelheit

Published Oct. 26, 2007

The MU campus was transported halfway across the globe this week as the MU Cultural Association of India held India Week in celebration of the group's 50th anniversary.

MU Cultural Association of India, the oldest international organization on campus, listened to feedback from students before planning the weeklong event and made sure each lecture showed a unique and new part of India's culture.

"India Week will provide a forum 'to foster cultural heritage of India and to promote cross-cultural understanding through various programs and events on campus and beyond,' as stated in our CAI constitution," graduate student and association President Bandhana Katoch said in an e-mail.

In an effort to educate students who are unfamiliar with Indian culture, the week included a number of lectures from MU professors and guests from across the country.

The presentation themes, which included work authorization issues, studying abroad, meditation and yoga, were designed to engage students and community members in dialogue about topics that would be unfamiliar to many.

In the lecture Fabric of India Life: The Fulbright Experience, textile and apparel management professor Lynn Boorady discussed the history of traditional Indian clothing and how weather and the location in India can affect the type of dress in the community.

During her presentation, Boorady drew from her experiences traveling India via the Fulbright Program.

In another presentation, Exploring India's Cybercities: Hyderabad and Bangalore, five MU professors discussed their recent visit to India and their experiences with the booming technology in these cities.

A mindful look at yoga

As calming music played, Kate Walker, a yoga practitioner and instructor at local Hindu temple Shanthi Mandir, and Vellore Gopalaratnam, a professor of civil engineering at MU, gave a lecture entitled, "Enhancing Your Health with Yoga."

Following her introduction, Walker, who has been a yoga instructor for nearly 23 years, gave a presentation highlighting the history and emotional benefits of yoga.

"We learn to observe events when we practice yoga," Walker said.

When she asked the group if anyone had meditated before, one or two hands rose. She chuckled to herself and then asked who had ever daydreamed before. This time, almost all of the hands in the audience went up.

"That's a good start to meditation," she said.

Later in the lecture, Walker conducted a series of meditation exercises and asked participants to stand up quietly, close their eyes and concentrate only on breathing.

"When we breathe as slow as possible, the mind comes into focus," Walker said.

The room was silent except for the muffled cheers from the room next door as Walker guided the participants through a series of exercises, constantly reminding them of their breathing patterns and clearing their minds.

Gopalaratnam said she found Walker's presentation to be informative about the spiritual and emotional purposes of yoga.

"Participants at yesterday's yoga lecture by Kate Walker got a very comprehensive and integral look at yoga, as a spiritual experience allowing one to gain a profound understanding of the interacti ons between the mind and the body and between man and nature and not as a mere practice of a popular form of physical exercise," Gopalaratnam said in e-mail.

'So I had to find a lady...'

India has also been a hot-button topic in terms of jobs and employment. The MU International Center sponsored Operations at iNEK Technologies in Kansas City, a lecture that discussed the struggles for international students when applying for jobs in the United States.

The panel consisted of Venky Vadlamani, vice president of iNEK Technologies of Kansas City; immigration attorney Judy Bordeau; and Jalana Robinson, Miha Britt, Elizabeth Meyr and David Currey of the International Center.

Much of the panel's discussion centered around applying for the H-1B work visa, which international students need to work and live in the United States.

"This year, unfortunately, on the first day of filing, the government received twice as many applications they had H-1Bs available," attorney Judy Bordeau said.

Vadlamani spoke about his experiences being Indian student at MU and struggling in the job market. He looked for three years and became frustrated at the career center. He registered for a small number of credit hours to keep his options open.

Saris and sweatshirts together on the dance floor

The cold weather and rain couldn't bring the celebration down during Dancing with Diversity: an Open-Air Snack 'n Dance Jamboree.

Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton began the evening by congratulating the organization on its anniversary.

As the first song, "Say Na Say Na" from the soundtrack to the 2005 Bollywood film "Bluffmaster!," blared from the speakers, a few braved the dance floor.

The dance featured Indian techno, bhangra and hip-hop. MU graduate student Nitin Jain, one of the disk jockeys for the evening, played popular artists such as DJ Aqeel and Panjabi MC for the dancers. As the music began to roll, the party gained momentum and at least 30 people gathered on the dance floor.

The basketball gym at the Student Recreation Complex was transformed into a dance party within minutes. Guests who were not interested in dancing sampled traditional Indian snack foods, but they were not leaning on the wall for very long. CAI President Bandhana Katoch approached every person who was leaning against the wall and encouraged them to dance.

"Come on," Katoch said. "You won't know if you don't like it until you come and try it."

Katoch even convinced Middleton to try out a few dance moves as he followed the group's motions with their hands. As the coaxing continued, the dance circle became larger, with some dancers in traditional Punjabi dress and others sweatshirts and jeans.

"This is a open diversity dance," CAI Web Director Anoop Jain said. "It is open to everyone, not just Indian people."

Middleton highlighted the importance of learning about other cultures as a means of strengthening the MU

community.

"By celebrating our own individual cultures, we enrich our Mizzou culture," Middleton said.