Diverse Beginnings

Lying on the ground under a table, sophomore Daya Pillai, student assistant from the Asian Culture Center, attempts to fasten a tablecloth to the table with long strips of masking tape. Fellow assistant sophomore Rosalyn Nguyen leans over the table with tape stuck to the ends of her fingers ready to hand them down to Pillai.\n"Ahh, this is ridiculous!" Pillai says as the wind picks up a corner of the tablecloth and throws back all of her work.\nCultureFest, an annual Welcome Week event, is sponsored by a variety of IU offices to help introduce new students to the diversity around IU's campus and to provide awareness of the various ethnic and support groups the University provides to its students.\nAt the Asian Culture Center booth, Pillai and Nguyen continue working on the tablecloths as the smell of egg rolls, crab rangoon and pad Thai, wafts by.\n"Last year this was the most popular food booth," Nguyen said. "We hope it will be again this year, too."\nBoth assistants said they came from small, undiverse public schools and were excited when they came to IU to learn more about their Asian heritage, thanks to the Asian Culture Center.\n"I was finally able to meet and learn about other Asian people," Pillai said.\nThat, the two said, is the goal of the Asian Culture Center's booth, to raise awareness.\n"We're a hub," Pillai said. "People come to us with questions. For example, if someone wanted a tutor to learn an Asian language, we would know where to direct them."\nInside the IU Auditorium, students chat in small groups as they wait for their seats for the keynote speaker, Kevin Wanzer, an international public speaker and graduate of Butler University.\nStudents decided to attend the event for a variety of reasons.\n"I came to Culturefest to meet people," freshman Autumn Kaylor said. "I came on my own, but I'm sure I'll see people I know here."\nSophomore transfer student Aaron Cook came for the keynote led by his stomach.\n"I'm here for the free food," he said settling into his seat ready for Wanzer to begin speaking.\nAfter a welcome from students senior Patrick Mcdaniel and junior Ronni Moore, \nEdwardo Rhodes, the interim vice chancellor for academic support and diversity addressed the packed auditorium.\n"Culturefest is many things," he said, "It's a way to welcome you and expose you to people different than you and outside your comfort zone."\nWanzer spoke to the group about the Aloha philosophy, which is based on the Hawaiian culture. He said a lei symbolizes how everyone is connected as one and how people spend their lives trying to get back to what they knew as a child. \nAfter cracking jokes about kazoos and the drive-thru at McDonalds, Wanzer said a study conducted by USATODAY revealed that when they're born, children are only afraid of two things, falling and loud noises.\n"Everything else is a choice," he said. "No one is born prejudiced."\nDuring his speech, Wanzer told a story about visiting the Wall of Remembrance at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. The wall is composed of tiles designed by children under 10. \nA tile that said, "It shouldn't hurt to be different" caught Wanzer's eye and he pointed it out to the young girl standing next to him.\n"I said to her, 'Isn't it awesome?' and she said, 'I don't think it's awesome -- I think it's true.'"\nWanzer finished his speech by telling the assembled students the key to ending prejudice is to take a stand for someone different than yourself, and he reminded them laughter is a universal language. \nThe auditorium gave him a standing ovation.\nFreshman Ashley Foster said she wasn't initially very excited about the speech, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.\n"I thought he was funny," she said, "And he definitely kept my attention. I also liked how he stressed a variety of different topics."\nAfter attending the keynote, students received four vouchers for free food and beverages from the vendors. Filing outside, students were serenaded by the music of the IU Steele Pan Ensemble as they chatted in groups and met new people.\n"In Hawaiian, Ohana means's family," Wanzer said during his speech, "And family means don't leave any spirit behind. IU is your Ohana for the next four years." \n- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.