Crawfest 2008

Jonah Goldberg once said, "Cultures grow on the vine of tradition." His statements apply to the cultures of many different groups of people all over the world. Even college campuses have their own heritage, defined by their traditions. My twin sister goes to A&M and this is a campus that thrives on their school spirit laden with customs such as ring-dunking, making the gig-em sign, and hating Longhorns!

Here at Tulane, we also have great traditions and I am proud of the fact that I have seen many new traditions define this campus's culture post-Katrina. For example, one relatively new and now HUGE part of Tulane's spring semester is the planning and execution of Crawfest.

Crawfest is a day-long music festival that occurs on the University Center Quad. The various student governments, the residence hall associations, and alumni all contribute thousands of dollars to make this event happen. There are bands from all over New Orleans and students are given a chance to enjoy local music literally a minute's walk from their dorm rooms.

This year's Crawfest featured bands like Trumpet Shortie and Papa Grows Funk. The music ranged from jazz to funk but all of it had the same southern New Orleans feel. People from all over the city come to see all these artists play on two stages spanning the UC Quad at Tulane.

And of course, there's also the crawfish. I recently read that 98% of crawfish harvested nationwide comes from New Orleans. It's a sweet treat here and spring is just the time to enjoy it. It also does get expensive though due to its demand everywhere else and students at Crawfest get to enjoy 2 lbs of crawfish and free drinks all day long.

It all started with just one idea last year from one student . . . and now it is an $84,000 enterprise that draws visitors from all over the city. The message from this? Come to Tulane to start traditions of your own . . it's just that easy in the Big Easy!

This is Daniel Haber . . . the idea was his and he is now a key player in the tradition of Crawfest

Tibet Week 2008

Last week I was going about my usual routine. I had just gotten out of Cell Biology 301 and I was walking to the University Center to grab a quick bite.

I got in line at Quizno's subs and waited for my turn to get my favorite sandwich (the chicken carbonara). And then I realized who was in line with me . . . two genuine Tibetan monks. When it became obvious I was staring, they just smiled pleasantly. I guess they were used to that by now.

These guys came from Tibet and they were living in the US to rally efforts to free their country. Tulane's newest organization, stemmed from the students of the School of Social Work, is in support of their cause and hence, Tibet Week was born.

There were monks there selling beautiful jewellry and religious instruments. They had incense holders, bells, and many other items you would see in a typical Buddhist temple. They even took Mastercard and Visa-- clearly these guys had learned to live as Americans!

Check out the pretty ring that Becky is wearing-- she visited the jewellry table with me.There was another table as well and there were some monks working on a very intricate sand mandala. For those of you that don't know what a mandala is, it's a detailed picture that is made of sand- Lisa Frank Sand Art on a grand scale, essentially. The sand is poured painstakingly into a design that has been etched into a stone tabletop. The instruments they use are long tubes with holes for suction to keep the sand in. They then use little sticks to uncover the tiny holes and ridges and let out exactly the right amount of sand. They were set up right in the middle of the smaller food court at the UC but their gorgeous mandala stopped many students in the hustle and bustle of their daily lives and they were drawn in by the delicate work. For many of us, this was one form of art we hadn't experienced before.

So here's another thing about Tulane. You never know when you'll be going about your regular day when suddenly a monk from Tibet will appear in line next to you!

Only at Tulane . . . .

Shadows of Diversity

I have to take a moment to write about Shadows of Diversity.

Shadows of Diversity is my sorority's annual event. Our sorority, Delta Xi Nu Multicultural Sorority, Inc., has a tradition of doing all kinds of interested and unique events in its chapters and colonies across the country. Our event is Shadows, which is a cultural show and dinner. We use it to promote various customs and arts of different cultures.

This particular year, we had martial arts, juggling, two Indian dances, a dance by the Newcomb Dance Company to "Wild Horses," and our own step show. Now for those of you who might not realize what "step" is, I encourage you to check out this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWDEuNSYwIA

This isn't our chapter, but it is Delta Xi Nu and we actually do use a few of these steps. Our sorority girls are known for our step skills, which for me and many other girls on the team here, is a totally new way of expressing ourselves through our dancing.

This year Shadows was last week and we had food donated from almost every major multicultural restaurant in town. We had Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern food, all donated to us. Our sisters also made some very unique desserts, including German Chocolate Cake and Mojito Cake.

It was a very successful night and honestly something very particular to Tulane. Only our chapter of the sorority puts on a show quite like this and we are the only group on campus that puts together a multicultural show at all. It takes almost a year of planning to happen but when it does, its worth it to see our audience's reaction to the acts and their enthusiasm about the various kinds of foods we have and what cultures they represent. Shadows expands horizons about heritages that we as students might not otherwise get to experience.

One more reason to come to Tulane. If multiculturalism is a big part of your life (regardless of your own ethnicity), then come check out Delta Xi Nu's Beta Chapter and our annual Shadows of Diversity. You won't regret it!

Wall Dedication

About two weeks ago I attended the dedication of Wall Residential College. It was a basic ribbon-cutting ceremony which explored the life of the woman whose generous endowment gave Tulane its newest (and some say nicest) residence hall. The only problem was . . . . I lived in Wall my freshman year which was two years ago so wasn't it a little late for a dedication ceremony?

But according Eric Couper, who was at that time my vice-president but today is the president and one of the most influential individuals in terms of Wall's progression from a residence hall into a the community it is today, "Better late than never." We all took a few moments aside from our busy schedules to commemorate the life of the woman who gave us this beautiful structure.

As Eric, Professor Dunn, and even Cynthia Cherrey, the Vice President of Student Affairs, give prolific speeches, many who were instrumental in the past of Wall as well as its future came out to see them. Housing and Residence Life staff as well as students came to celebrate Wall two years after its way of life began. But as Eric pointed out in his speech, this was as good a time as any to have this ceremony because Wall's future has barely begun. The students of this residence hall have really changed it from just the new hall everyone wanted to live in my freshman year to a place with traditions and customs of its own.

Personally, I was thrilled when I was recognized as Wall's first president by its current residents. It was great to see that I still had a place amongst Wall's leaders, even if I was the first and certainly the one who knew least what to expect.

The whole experience really taught me something about Tulane. The students here really know how to appreciate those who gave them the gifts they have now, whether it be endowments for residence halls, scholarships, or new equipment for the classrooms. And then when their turn comes, they give back to this amazing community.

So another reason to come to Tulane . . . . keep the cycle going. Be a part of a tradition you won't understand until it's a part of you.