International Night educates, entertains

Student groups performed dances, fashion shows and picture shows.

By James Hatler

Published Feb. 23, 2009

Correction appended

With games, music and brightly colored costumes, participants of International Night spread awareness of cultures Saturday night.

The annual event, formerly known as International Fashion Show, allows student groups about international cultures to showcase features about their homelands. The Missouri Students Association and Graduate Professional Council International Programming Committee organized the show.

It also demonstrated cultural diversity and nationalities that are represented at MU.

"I think it is very important," International Programming Committee co-chairwoman Jessica Fay said. "The majority of my friends are all international friends and it helps people see a different point-of-view, and they get to learn more about the world through international friends and people."

The show ran about three hours, and it displayed various aspects of multiple cultures. The first group to present was the AAA who had a dance routine.

"It was very exciting because this year we had the theme of Jessica Fay and I traveling around the world to visit different places and coming back and bringing our experience to the audience, so we had our backpacks and some gear on us all the time," emcee Thitinun Boonseng said.

Then the emcees introduced the next act, the Vietnamese Student Association. They presented a picture show of various scenes from Vietnam and had a performance of the little drummer dance.

The Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars presented brief snapshots of Chinese fashion at an A.D. 1000 wedding, which featured traditional ceremonies, dress and long ornamental fingernails in Old Shanghai in 1936. They also demonstrated the techniques of kung fu fighting.

South Asia was represented by the South Asian Students Association. SASA presented south Asia as a collection of countries with different regions, including the countries Sri Lanka and India as part of the southern region. They also did a tribute song to the film "Slumdog Millionaire" with a presentation of the song "Jai Ho."

The Thai Student Association exhibited kickboxing skills. The Korean Students Association displayed a musical performance that used trashcans and some traditional Korean drums. They also performed karate. The African Students Association did a catwalk of African fashions. The Taiwanese Student Association displayed toys and childhood games.

"I think it was the best one yet since I've been doing this," Thai Student Association president Nan Anantravanich said. "Everyone had it together, everyone outdid themselves. I know there was a lot of rehearsal time and energy put into the show this year."