Performers shone at the stage expressing their cultures. From Taiko drum performances to singing and dancing, students found ways to share their cultures on the stage of the EMU Ballroom on Sunday, April 13.

The International Student Association hosted its biggest event of the year – “I-Night.” Performances entertained the crowd of approximately 80 with the theme “Royal Soiree.” Some guests and staff dressed up in sparkling dresses and heels while others wore traditional dress, such as saris from India or traditional Mexican dress.

The sound of drums kicked off the night of performances with rich cultures. Ahiru Daiko, UO’s Japanese drumming ensemble, performed three pieces. Each piece had different meanings, according to Makayah Bernal, a junior at UO who joined Ahiru Daiko her freshman year.

For example, “Asobi” means “playing,” which adds some playful movement and joyful rhythm to the piece. The next piece is titled “Matsuri,” which is the Japanese word for “festival.” Bernal said that matsuri features some traditional aspects of Japanese culture. The last piece was titled “Maru Batsu,” meaning circle and cross. Bernal and another team member, Maxwell Seguritan, co-composed the piece. “We composed the piece first and named it afterwards,” Bernal said, adding that the movement of the piece was more dynamic, which led to the title.

“I love the supportive team environment,” Bernal said. She said she enjoys being part of the club. The club also includes some international students.

Mio Ohashi is an exchange student from Japan, and she joined Ahiru Daiko wanting to know and experience more about her own culture. She started off by joining the workshops. Club members picked her as a new member of the team.

“Joining Ahiru Daiko has had a big impact on how I think about sharing my culture,” Ohashi said. She said that taiko is not only about drumming, but “about community, discipline and storytelling.”

As some traditional cultures tend to fade away, Ohashi said, “I feel like I’m contributing to keeping those traditions alive.”

ISA represents both domestic and international students at UO. The association has several executive members as well as interns who run multiple events per term. During the week of I night, ISA hosted an event each day for the entire week, calling it “I-Week”.

During I-Week, ISA collaborated with other clubs and organizations including the Thai Student Association, Duck Street Dance Club and the Manga Club. Events provided students ways to explore different resources and communities on campus.

Batafing Soumano joined ISA as an intern last year out of interest in the club’s concept. Soumano is from Mali in West Africa and moved to Eugene when she was about six years old. “I know how hard it is to learn a new language and fit in, and even make friends,” Soumano said. Her experience as an immigrant has inspired her to help people who might have similar challenges.

Soumano is the outreach intern this year and was in charge of the food at I-Night, which included meals from multiple cultures. There were yakisoba, spring rolls, biryani and more. Soumano said that she wanted to represent countries where international students are from through food.

Attendees went around the tables to take small portions of food. This allowed them to try the variety of options.

The event concluded with a fashion show by the ISA executive board and interns, celebrating their hard work for the year. Cheering, claps and shouting concluded the night, highlighting the love that ISA members showed to each other and to the community.

The post “I-Night” spotlight UO’s international cultures appeared first on Daily Emerald.

“You are unconditionally loved,” “Beauty takes time,” “Don’t diminish your abilities!”

Sticky notes with positive affirmation filled the “affirmation walls” located on the third floor of Gerlinger Annex, where most dance classes are held.

Dance Oregon, a student group at the University of Oregon, hosted a Love Your Body Week, an annual campaign founded by dance instructor Rachel Stewart, from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22. Stewart started this program after observing negative conversations about body image from children as young as five years old to late teen students. The campaign aims to “encourage body positivity and celebrate all the wonderful things our bodies can do,” according to the National Honor Society of Dance Arts.

Dance Oregon hosted a series of events during the week. On Monday evening, UO Tap Club and Dance Oregon collaborated in a tap dance workshop. Rita Honka, a senior instructor at School of Dance and Music, hosted a somatics workshop on Tuesday evening. On Thursday, two UO students, Michelle Rogers and Lilly Fox led improvisation with the danceability method.

Rogers said that danceability is “the method of teaching improvisational dance that revolves around inclusivity.” Danceability welcomes anyone with or without disabilities. Different types of methods work for different types of abilities. For example, touch-based movement is often used by people with vision disabilities.

The Danceability workshop took place on Thursday evening with eight participants following the instructor’s advice and leads. Rogers described the atmosphere of the workshop as “accepting and calm.”

Activities included some group and pair improvisation. One of the paired improvisations was based on qualities that each pair decided on and then shared their own interpretations of that quality. Some of the qualities mentioned were “squishy,” “toss,” “goopy,” and “pendulum.”

Rogers said that danceability is a “safe space for people to explore movements,” and that she sees the Love Your Body Week campaign as an “opportunity to be grateful.” 

“I don’t personally have a sense of love for my body,” she said, and because of that, she seeks out things she can do, she said.

Even though Love Your Body Week is mostly focused on dancers, body positivity is a broader topic that probably many people can relate to.

At 8:55 a.m. on Sunday morning, Jack Crockett got to the UO Student Recreation Center and waited for it to open at 9 a.m. Crockett is a freshman studying Human Physiology and he comes to the UO Rec in the mornings six times a week.

Crockett said he felt insecure about being skinny growing up, and he always wanted to be “bigger.” As he entered college and was away from home, “I wanted to better myself,” he said, “I wanted to find something that I’m dedicated and motivated about.”

Crockett said he is aware of the idea of body positivity. He often sees content about it on social media. Although he said he has “mixed feelings” about the idea, he said he agrees with the idea that “all bodies are good.”

Crockett said that many people suffer by comparing themselves to worldly standards that they can not reach. “You are the standard,” Crockett said.

When Grady Moss launched the UO Poet Society this term, he was inspired by the film “The Dead Poet’s Society” to “create a space where creative minds can meet” and share the love of poetry as a community.

Starting a club was “very challenging,” Moss said. He started the process in spring of 2023 and it wasn’t until over a year later that the club was up and running.

Moss used to do open-mic poetry readings around Eugene, and he thought, “UO should have something like this.” After the idea had sparked, Moss began the process of starting the club by talking with Corbett Upton, the Associate Director of the English Department. Upton supported him in finding resources and funding for the club and most importantly, “he told me that this was possible and he gave me that belief,” Moss said.

After he had established the framework for the club, Moss began reaching out to students and gauging their interest in the club on social media and Google Forms. He received 40 responses from people wishing to participate.

The club officially launched in September this year and is now hosting bi-weekly meetings in addition to events to build a sense of community. Moss hopes to continue to “create the foundation and structure of the club” this term. The main goal is to spread the word about the club.

To help boost engagement, the club has two executive officers: the outreach officer and the social media coordinator. As a president, Moss received encouragement from club members as they shared their feedback and appreciation for the space.

Alisha Acireno, UO Poet Society’s outreach officer, met Moss during spring term last year and knew she wanted to be involved in the project. “From the very first time I met Grady, I knew that it would be great because of how passionate he is,” she said.

The club’s first event, an open mic event, was hosted on Oct. 16 at Bartolotti’s Pizza in the EMU. Initially, only 12 people signed up for the event. “I was nervous at first,” Moss said, but when he entered the room “it was packed and some people were even standing,” he said.

Throughout the evening, several poets shared their poems in front of the crowd, and Moss played and sang a song at the end of the event.

“Seeing it come to life after the hard work of creating a club from nothing to something is truly remarkable,” Moss said.

Acireno said she was inspired while helping and attending the event. “Being there made me feel the sense of community coming together,” she said.

As an outreach officer, Acireno hopes to collaborate with other campus organizations for future events. “I am excited to see how this goes,” she said, and she hopes that people will enjoy the time with the club.

Moss shared that his “big goal” for the school year is to host an open mic at the ASUO Street Faire in spring. He hopes to collaborate with ASUO as well as local bands to make it an all-day event.

Moss wants the club to be “consistent and persistent,” and hopes it will provide a “long-time creative space.”

“I want the club to be known,” Moss said, as his main goal for fall term is to get the word out about the club.

To get involved in the UO Poet Society, students can go to The UO Poet Society Engage page and request membership through there. The club’s Instagram, @uopoetsociety, also welcomes direct messages for collaborations and questions about the club.

Diwali, a South Asian festival celebrating light over darkness, was hosted on Nov. 10 at the University of Oregon Erb Memorial Union Ballroom by the South Asian Cultural Alliance. Roughly 250 students and community members filled the space, gathering for food and local performances throughout the evening.

“Diwali is meant to show love,” Saisha Rajpara, a UO junior who performed a dance during the event, said. She also serves as a secretary for SACA this year.

Rajpara’s involvement in SACA began with Diwali her freshman year. “I fell in love with the way SACA fostered a community,” Rajpara said.

Diwali is translated as a row of lights, which symbolizes triumph over darkness, or good over evil. Although this celebration has ties to Hindu religion, Rajpara said the event is for anyone to give and share with family and community.

Rajpara performed a dance at Diwali with one of her close friends, Gayatri Misra, UO junior from India. Both of them were classically trained in dance growing up, and their smiles beamed throughout their performance, showing their love of dancing.

“Dance tells a story,” Rajpara said. During the performance, both dancers used facial expressions to deliver the story and to interact with each other through gestures and eye contact.

Not used to being in a large South Asian community, Rajpara said she was nervous at first at the event, but sharing and celebrating her culture at Diwali opened her eyes. “This is not just a predominately white institution. People are so accepting and loving,” Rajpara said.

Sree Sareday, a junior at UO, started serving as the president of SACA this year. “I don’t feel like I am a president because I am working with the best friends and best people,” Sareday said. “I am blessed to be in this position.”

Sareday said that coming from San Jose, she was used to having a community that shares her culture. But when she came to Oregon, she faced difficulty in finding a cultural community, as Oregon is a predominantly white state.

Sareday said the SACA community is not only a cultural group but a family. Having similar backgrounds makes it easier to share their favorite movies and music in the group.

“I do feel like we have the same sense of humor,” Sareday said. “We feel a responsibility to the community to make sure they have a space here.”

SACA invites artists and performers from Eugene and throughout Oregon to participate in their events, and some people drive hours to attend. Performers at the event included a number of dancers from children to elders, a poet and a singer.

Leigh-Anna Rezel recently moved to Eugene from England and found out about Diwali through SACA’s Instagram account. When she saw a post calling for artists, she said she signed up to perform a poem without even thinking.

Rezel grew up in England with her parents from Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka is always going to be a part of me,” Rezel said. “I’m keen to get connected with people in the community and that motivated me to look for events.”

Rezel’s poem featured cultural aspects of the Diwali as well as social issues that the community is facing, specifically colorism. Rezel said colorism is not only the issue but a “symptom of a bigger issue from contemporary capitalism, colonialism and white supremacy.”

For Rezel and many others, Diwali is a happy celebration, so she wrote the poem in a light-hearted, palatable way while also delivering a message to the community on how to deal with topics of colorism and injustice.

Although Diwali is a South Asian cultural celebration, the event was open to anyone who is interested. Daniele Sparks, a UO junior, saw the event in an email and watched a YouTube video that talked about what the event is.

Sparks said that she “wanted to be more active on campus,” which prompted her to attend. Sparks is a member of the Colville confederated tribes in Washington, and she engages with the Native American community on campus.

The UO Native American community often hosts events at the Long House, which Sparks said became a home away from home where she sees her friends, studies and shares “Indian tacos” with the community every week.

Sparks described her first 20 minutes at the Diwali event as intimidating.“I was the outsider at the event,” Sparks said. She often invites her non-native friends to events hosted by the community, so going to Diwali was the opposite of what she’s used to.

However, Sparks said that for a while she felt at ease by interacting with welcoming people and getting to know them. “It’s always the first 20 minutes that are a little awkward, but after that, it gets better,” she said.

Sparks said that overall she “felt inspired to be [herself] and to stand up to colonization,” and that seeing people preserve the culture inspired her to “do my part back home.”

“Going to the event expanded the horizon of where I feel comfortable on campus,” Sparks said.

For students of all ethnicities, SACA and other cultural events embrace the power of connecting people of different backgrounds, bringing more perspectives to our understanding of the world.

SACA holds other annual events throughout the year. Bollywood Ball takes place in winter term with dance, music and community. Holi, the festival of color, brings people to chase each other with Gulal, colored powder to throw at others in spring term.

In addition to events, SACA holds general meetings every Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Mills International Center in EMU, and information can be found on their Tiktok and Instagram @uoregonsaca or on the Engage website.

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“A lot of people think Frankenstein as a ‘monster’,” said Henry Morton, the actor playing Frankenstein in the UO Theatre Department’s production. But he seeks to redefine it.

Frankenstein is often characterized as a “monster,” but Henry Morton, the actor playing Frankenstein in the UO Theatre Department’s production, is seeking to redefine Frankenstein.

“He is actually just a guy,” Morton said.

Morton will play the latter and the end part of Frankenstein’s life when the play premieres on Nov. 8. The UO Theatre Department will be showcasing “Frankenstein” for three consecutive weekends from Nov 8 to Nov. 24 at specific times.

To create the character of Frankenstein, several actors will be playing him at different stages in his life.

Landon Kobz is an actor for “the creature,” or the older monster version of Frankenstein. It is both Morton’s and Kobz’s first time performing in a UO Theatre production, both auditioning for the play in June 2023.

Morton said the story is more than a horror creation. “It’s a lot deeper and more emotional than what people would think of as a horror story,” Morton said.

“Frankenstein felt ill for so many months because he was laboring so hard in creating this [monster] and he almost died,” Morton said. He said the play aims to illustrate Frankenstein as a human, rather than as a monster.

Michael Malek Najjar, the production director, has been working with the UO Theatre almost every year since 2011. “Working with different talents is great,” Najjar said.

Najjar said that while selecting the script, he was looking for a “producible” one with a deeper message. He described the chosen script as “more philosophical and thoughtful” in contrast to other adaptations he read through that focus on the horror side.

Najjar said the play touches on topics such as “life and death, fathers and sons” and “what we do when we hurt others and what happens to us when we hurt them.”

Speaking on the character of Frankenstein, Najjar said, “the creature was not horrible but life made him horrible. Even the most innocent people would become ugly and violent.”

To get involved with future productions, students of any major can sign up for the mailing list from University Theatre and receive information about play auditions.

As soon as the school year started, actors kicked off three-hour weekday and four-hour weekend rehearsals for five days a week.

“Many rehearsals are needed to deliver good quality,” Najjar said. He also worked with costumes and design students over the summer.

The production will take place at the Hope Theatre, a smaller black box theatre where seats surround the stage in the middle.

“I like working at the Hope Theatre because it feels more personal to the audience and intimate and much more exciting,” Najjar said. “Audiences sit on the same level as actors, and get to watch the play close up.”

Morton and Kobz enjoyed watching productions last year at the Hope Theatre as audiences. “You can see the show three times and see different shows depending on which side you sit on,” Morton said.

“Frankenstein” will be on stage from Nov. 8 and will be playing for three weekends: Nov. 8-9, 15-17 and 21-24 at the Hope Theatre at 7:30 p.m., with two matinee performances on Nov. 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.

UO students can receive a free ticket at the door one hour before the show, and it is $8-10 for other guests. The tickets will be available at the UO Ticket Office.

Isabelle Bloodgood has been serving as a principal dancer at the Ballet Fantastique since 2023. The principal is the highest position in the ballet world, and “there is a level of respect and expectation from the room,” Bloodgood said. “Growing up, it was definitely always a goal and a dream of mine to be a principal dancer.”

Bloodgood’s mother put her into ballet classes when she was three years old. “That’s what moms do,” she said. When she was in middle school, Bloodgood saw “Sleeping Beauty” by the American Ballet Theatre, and her interest in ballet climbed to the next level.

During the show, Bloodgood said to her mother, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up.”

Bloodgood’s mother asked her if she was okay with just being in a ballet company and not being the main character. “No, I don’t care, I just want to dance,” Bloodgood replied.

After her initial ballet classes, Bloodgood transferred to a more intense studio, started taking ballet classes every day and went to boarding school to maximize her hours of training. “There is a lot of rejection in the ballet world and it can be tough, but my love of it helps to overcome those challenges,” Bloodgood said.

In 2020, Bloodgood was looking for an innovative company putting out new, exciting shows. That was when she found Ballet Fantastique.
“Ballet Fantastique created world premieres that I have never heard of before,” Bloodgood said. She attributed the show “American Christmas Carol,” as one of the shows that caught her attention and interest.

She auditioned and joined the company in 2020. “It was a crazy season but great,” Bloodgood said, reflecting on the first few years when the company tried to be creative to keep the momentum under the pandemic.

When Bloodgood first heard about “Murder at the Ballet,” she said she remembered thinking, “How are we going to do and afford this?” The show would need “wonderful live music, and the costumes would need to be well-prepared,” she said.

Sabrina Chu, a University of Oregon sophomore, said she has never been to the Hult Center. “I don’t think many students know about it”, Chu said. “I have seen the Nutcracker in Portland, and It’s so satisfying to watch, they are so light on their feet.”

Bloodgood said the show intends to be interactive, giving the audience a chance to decide who did it. “Audiences should expect to see something they have never seen before, something that would be a real treat’ for the Halloween season,” she said.

“I feel like anyone who has done dance or theater should go,” Chu said. Tickets to the ballet range from $22 to $120, or $15 to $65 for students and youth.

As for Bloodgood, moving forward she hopes to continue dancing for a few more years as a principal dancer. After ballet, she hopes to go into marketing, as she said she’s a person who “wears multiple hats.”

When Eugene local Shelby Rickard’s friend told her about the Navarasa Dance workshop, she was hesitant to join. Rickard said that she’s been a “shame-driven person,” but her friend encouraged her by telling her, “you can dance, and you should dance.”

The dance department at the University of Oregon often hosts workshops, taught by community and visiting dancers. The Navarasa Dance Workshop was held in the Gerlinger Annex on Friday, Oct. 5 in preparation for Oregon DesiFest 2024 and welcomed both students and community members.

Dr. Aparna Sindhoor and Anil Natyaveda from Navarasa Dance led the workshop as they prepared for the performance on the next day. “They are energetic, powerful, willing and wanting to share their culture,” Rickard said after the workshop.

Even though it was her first ever dance class, she danced in the front row confidently. “I feel like the call-and-response style of dance is way more approachable,” Rickard said “It was so involving, and I felt wrapped up in it. I didn’t even think how everyone else was doing. I am really really glad that I went.”

Rickard said, moving forward, she will be checking out more opportunities to dance in the community. “Coming and having the opportunity to do these things once in a while is special and exciting,” she said.

The workshop started with breathing exercises and basic stretching. Dr. Sindhoor introduced three parts of the workshop: dancing, martial arts and storytelling. “Storytelling is the most important part,” she said.

Oregon DesiFest 2024 took place on the day following the workshop It was hosted at the Lane Community College building 19, and was spread across several classrooms where visitors could enjoy food, fine arts and performances.

More than a hundred families and community members participated and many dressed up in traditional dress and jewelry. The vivid color brightened up the space and excelled conversations.

The event served “South Indian inspired food” for the guests including several types of curries, biriyani and desserts. After the meal, the performances started with a greeting from Natyaveda, the founder, director and producer of the festival. In his opening speech, he stated that their mission is “to elevate the hidden and emerging histories of the South Asian diaspora through the arts and humanities.”

Many of the performers were from the Eugene/Lane County community, including musicians, poets and dancers. Shaurya Narreddy, an 11-year-old dancer, performed an Indian Hip-Hop dance on the stage for the first time in his dance career.

Shaurya danced when he was younger and restarted in May with an instructor one-on-one. Soon after starting lessons, he said that all he wanted to do was dance. When his mother told him about DesiFest coming up, he said, “Okay, let’s do this.”

“It is a lot of fun,” he said with confidence and excitement after his performance. He is now signed to perform at the Diwali, hosted by the UO South Asian Cultural Alliance (SACA), on November 9th.

From your first dance class to your first-ever dance performance; no matter where you are in your dance experience, there is so much to be involved in and learn from in this community. All it takes is taking the first step.