Parade of Nations - A Global Celebration at Tufts!
Last week was Tufts’ first ever Global Week! The week-long series of events were put on to showcase the breadth and depth of Tufts’ commitment to global engagement and to celebrate the cultural diversity at Tufts. The week kicked off with International Club’s signature Parade of Nations, which is for sure one of my favorite events of the year. A three decade tradition, the show is a fun, vibrant, colorful cultural extravaganza filled with dance and music performances from all over the world.
There were dynamic performances from groups like Bhangra the indian culture dance team and Turbo the breakdancing group. It was hard not to love Wuzee, the Tufts Chinese fusion dance team, with their genuine smiles and visually stunning choreography. The ladies of Essence sang music of the African Diaspora and Kiniwe performed with traditional drumming and dancing from West Africa (Kiniwe is actually a class you can take as an Arts credit at Tufts!).
In addition, every year, the Oliver Chapman Leadership and Community Award takes place during Parade of Nations. This award is dedicated to Oliver Chapman, a panamanian student who passed away in 1992 and is given to a senior who has been actively involved in Tufts’ international community. This year, Akshat Rajan from Bombay, India received the award for his continued dedication to the international community. He has served as the International Club Vice President, a Global Orientation Host Advisor and has been involved in organising Tufts Alumni Global Reach Mumbai.
My favorite part of Parade of Nations and the first thing that comes to mind when I think back to the show is the amazing Flag Show Finale. To close out the show, Tufts students dressed in traditional dress strut down the aisles of Cohen Auditorium showing off the flag from their country. I loved students coming together to celebrate their uniqueness with the high energy audience cheering them along. As I watched Parade of Nations, I realized I find my home in this diverse community.
Here's a link to the 2017 Parade of Nations!