SU students to celebrate diversity through show of comedy and culture April 11

SU students to celebrate diversity through show of comedy and culture April 11April 03, 2009Rohan ShethPresident.su.sasa@gmail.com

Students at Syracuse University are taking a stand to become a more integrated campus by celebrating diversity and cultural collaboration through “Andaaz 2009: A CULTURAL REMIX.”

Andaaz 2009 is a comedy and cultural show that will take place on Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center. It is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and can be obtained free of charge at the Schine Box Office starting April 6; parking will be available in paid visitor lots.

The show is spearheaded by the South Asian Students’ Association and University Union and is co-sponsored by several additional student groups. The main acts for Andaaz are a trio of professional comedians who are of different backgrounds: Rajiv Satyal, a Hindu; Paul Varghese, a Christian; and Samson Koletkar, a Jew. In addition, collaborative performances from groups like SU Zinda, Black Reign, Kalabash, Orange Bhangra and this year’s Drag King and Queen will demonstrate students working together to create art through fusing culture.

All of the performances, including the comedy acts, are statements that express a wish for students to exist on a campus where they feel accepted by one another. Andaaz 2009 will represent a charge from participating student groups to coexist harmoniously in an environment that supports an exchange of knowledge, culture and art.

Audience members will be invited to offer donations for International Young Scholars, a volunteer mentorship initiative run by the Office of Engagement Programs at Hendricks Chapel. International Young Scholars seeks to promote the educational achievement of immigrant and refugee teens, as well as instill within them the belief that college is attainable. Weekly, more than three dozen SU volunteers travel into the community and work one-on-one or in small groups with students and assist them with English language acquisition.

The following are groups cosponsoring Andaaz 2009: South Asian Students’ Association, University Union, Caribbean Students’ Association, ASIA, Kappa Phi Lambda, Pride Union, A Men’s Issue, Nu Alpha Phi, Acacia, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, National Association of Black Accountants, Hindu Students Council and Muslim Students Association.

For more information about “Andaaz 2009: A CULTURAL REMIX,” contact South Asian Students’ Association President Rohan Sheth at (412) 427-2783 or president.su.sasa@gmail.com.