UNA HOLDS 6TH ANNUAL GLOBAL CULTURE NIGHT APRIL 19
April 11, 2008
By Rebecca Walker
UNA Student Writer
FLORENCE, Ala.— Students from around the world will gather in their native garb to sing, dance and perform songs and theatrical displays of countries abroad and the Shoals community in Norton Auditorium on April 19. The sixth annual Global Culture Night event at the University of North Alabama will culminate International Week, which celebrates and exhibits the many cultures of UNA’s international community.
“This is definitely a unique event in this area,” said Dr. Santanu Borah, professor of management at UNA and the coordinator of Global Culture Night. “You usually cannot find so many people of different colors and backgrounds in one place.”
UNA has partnered with Florence-Lauderdale Tourism to make the night possible. The events of the evening will be opened by President William G. Cale and the director of international relations for the National Alabama Corporation, Peter Earle, owner of Centiva by International Floors of America, Thomas Trissl and Dan Waterman, who is with the International Fertilizer Development Center and Dr. Surender Sandella from the Heart Health Center of the Shoals.
Alison Stanfield, with Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, will present an award to a local citizen who has embraced and assisted the international community at UNA.
Acts of the night will include dances by Nepalese, Indian, Japanese and Chinese students and singing by a Turkish student group and a Vietnamese student group. Performances will also include Poza, a local African American group; a choral performance led by UNA director of choral activities Dr. Ian Loeppky; a trombone quartet led by Eddie Elsey; traveling tribute artist group, Go Big Shows; an acapella performance by members of the community; and a performance by members of Christ Chapel Church. Instructors of the English as a second language (ESL) program at UNA will also perform a play.
After the performances, Indian-style food will be served in the Guillot University Center atrium. A dance will follow.
“It has been said the food and music are universal languages,” said Borah. “We just want to bring the community together to celebrate our cultures.”
The event is free, though donations will be collected and donated to the Shoals Family Success Center.
For more information, contact Borah at 256-765-4605.
