February 2006:
Number 502
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A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.758.3849. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: Feb. 7. All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be emailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Sydney Portilla-Diggs, student correspondent; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Jennifer Baker, student correspondent; Nick Young, photographer; Layout by Publications
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Collin students share cultural diversity
By Stephanie Hall
Student Correspondent
At one booth, a myriad of young, eager children wait in anticipation for their turn to have mehndi, or henna, applied to their hands in intricate designs by a Pakistani student from Collin.
At another booth, children learn about Kenya, a country in Africa, by coloring in the flag while listening to knowledgeable Collin students speak about their country.
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| Collin students shared their cultural diversity with Naoma and M. Allen Anderson Elementary students in Plano. Students from the International Student Association (ISA), the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA), and the League of United Latin American Council (LULAC) participated in the Dec. 1 event. | And yet at another booth, excited children wait their turn for Middle Eastern Collin students to write their name in Arabic and Farsi letters. These and other Collin students inspired hundreds of young minds by sharing their own cultural diversity with elementary students during an annual cultural event at the Naoma and M. Allen Anderson Elementary school Dec. 1 in Plano.
The students who participated came from three different student organizations: the International Student Association (ISA), the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) and the League of United Latin American Council (LULAC).
“They represent Collin’s own diverse student population,” said Tatiana Shehadeh, the international student advisor at Collin. Shehadeh asked the student organizations if they would be willing to participate after she received a call from Anderson Elementary. “They asked if the Collin students would like to participate in this popular annual event,” she said. “The elementary school has a multicultural population, so they thought that the Collin students could add a new dimension to their program.”
The Collin students set up several creative booths with educational activities enticing the elementary students to learn more.
“I think we’ve allowed them to be curious and to inquire about the different cultures,” said Aliasger Esmailjee, the president of the ISA at Collin. He and his fellow ISA members enjoyed interacting with the children.
“We have taught them about different cultures and different countries, and they have learned a lot. It’s been worthwhile.” While the children fluttered about the school in their native clothing, the parents also took in the mixture of cultures.
“The students are able to put a face to a country rather than the children having to only learn it from a book,” said Stacy Anne Arias, a member of the Board of Trustees for Collin. She has two children attending Anderson Elementary. She said she was proud of the Collin students and their successful efforts in bringing color to the school’s cultural event.
“I know this was a difficult time for the students to come out because of finals,” she said. “I’m very appreciative of them coming here.”
Lara Rahhal, a student from Lebanon added even more spice to the event by gracefully performing a belly dance. Another Kenyan student from Collin sang the national anthem of her native land. Collin’s Latin American students happily taught the young students the salsa dance. The highlight of the program was the fashion show in which young students, their siblings and teachers proudly modeled their native outfits as they walked across the stage. When each finished, the elementary students were a buzz with questions about the cultures.
“Cultural awareness is increasingly important, especially in a society where there are so many different ethnicities,” said Shehadeh. “The aim of the cultural event was to bring awareness and expose young children to different cultures. Teaching children at an early age about traditions, customs, languages, and even exposing them to dances and arts of other populations helps them better understand people from different cultures, and eventually aids in reducing discrimination and prejudice in our society.”
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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