Yonit Shames
Published: April 13, 2005
The local community got a little taste of the world on April 9 with PJC’s 18th Annual International Night, which featured culture bites from a distinct assortment of performers.
Entertainment included informative displays about a variety of cultures and the night’s trademark array of diverse performers, who presented everything from Japanese fan dancing to jazz.
The night, however, was about more than an exciting performance, which, since its inception 18 years ago, has become so popular that attendees have had standing room only.
“It is tremendously important to see and experience other cultures,” Jacinta Straus, Warrington campus Student Leadership and Activities coordinator, said, adding that attending International Night was like “going around the world without ever leaving Pensacola, Florida.”
Straus is a longtime member of PJC’s International Education Committee, which sponsors the event every year and holds monthly meetings.
“The more we know about our neighbors, the better chance we have of living in peace and harmony,” she said.
Straus brought the example of post-September 11, 2001, at which point there was a great deal of misinformation about the Islamic faith and some hostility against Muslims, she said. The committee invited a Muslim religious leader to speak about the discrepancy between true Islam, which is peace-loving, and the radical interpretation of Islam made by extremists like the Taliban. The local turnout was “unbelievable,” Straus said, and Channel 5 news covered the event.
Even some of the younger performers recognize the significance of learning about other cultures. Tricie Latson, 14, a first time International Night performer who plays the flute with the Belmont Youth Band, said that learning more about other cultures promotes mutual respect.
Other performers, too, stressed the importance of teaching the local community about a variety of cultures.
“We think the diversity of cultures is where the power and strength of America comes from,” Frank Asprer, president of The Mabuhay Dancers of Pensacola, said.
The group performed a variety of native Filipino dances, including the energetic and fast-paced Tinikling dance, the national dance of the Philippines that was wildly popular among the audience members.
Asprer and his wife, Cora, are both Filipino immigrants and wanted to give their children the opportunity to connect to their heritage through native dancing.
Pensacola doesn’t have the reputation of being a culturally-diverse area because it’s a small city, said Jim Brady, head of the Biology department and rehearsal and stage manager for the show, but this is why it’s so important to hold an event that spotlights the “wonderful, rich diversity” of the area.
“There is an enormous international community [in the Pensacola area],” Straus said.
There are over 30 recognized international organizations in the Escambia and Santa Rosa counties alone, she said.
“[People] think that there’s nothing here, but there’s so much going in their community. They just don’t go looking for it,” Elizabeth House, another performer, said.
House was born in Spain and performed Spanish dance with two of her daughters.
“You learn so much- there’s so much going on in the world,” she said.
House also said that learning about other cultures prevents misinformation and stops hostility, which is particularly important in light of current events.
“People decide they want to hate. I don’t,” she said.
The seriousness of promoting cultural diversity did not prevent the various performers from enjoying learning their art or performances, of course.
UWF student Katie Kassof, a member of the Mai No Kai International group who performed a dance called Sakura-Sakura, said that she enjoys being distinctive.
“There are only a few of us in the entire college who do this,” she said.
The Ashmore Auditorium is also a great performance environment, dancer Salome said. She is a member of the Saraab dance group, which, combining Egyptian, Turkish, North African and Gypsy dancing, was also very popular among audience members.
Networking and interaction with other performance groups in the community is also a worthwhile reason to perform at events like these, said Mica, another dancer.
The International Education Committee has won several awards for its work in Pensacola, including the Florida Association of Community Colleges’ 2003 Global Initiatives Commission’s Best Practices Award for Continuing Excellence and Florida Leader Magazine’s 2004 Best of Florida Schools Award for Best Multicultural Event. Its mission is to make the community aware of different cultures by providing them with the opportunity to interact with them. It also serves as a liaison for international students at PJC.
People who are interested in getting involved with the International Education Committee should contact Jacinta Straus at 484-2293.
