Two Fridays ago, Andover hosted the screening of an upcoming film. Sponsored by Asian Society, Andover Korean Society, Asian Girls’ Forum and the Office of Alumni Affairs, “Wedding Palace” was scripted and directed by PA alumna Christine Yoo ’86. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, the majority of the audience was of Asian descent. Did students see the line “Sponsored by Asian Society” and decide the movie was for members of multicultural clubs only? If so, this is cause for concern.
Clubs like Asian Society, Alianza Latina and Af-Lat-Am exist not to segregate students based on race but to do exactly the opposite: to promote awareness and educate the entire student body about different cultures and traditions. For example, the display of profiles presented by Alianza Latina in Oliver Wendell Holmes Library is a great illustration of the kind of outreach and awareness many of these clubs strive for. While part of the focus of these clubs is certainly on the affirmation of experience, they hope to get the entire student body involved in one way or another, whether by participating in meetings or joining events. Undeniably, there are more Asians in Asian Society and more Latinos in Alianza Latina, but groups warmly welcome, and in some cases actively seek members of other backgrounds.
We come to Andover to learn, and we must educate ourselves both inside and outside of the classroom. An understanding and appreciation of other people and their cultures will always be crucial to success in a global world. Multicultural clubs exist to open our horizons to other people’s unique perspectives that we should not label as different and, consequently, unimportant.
These clubs organize events to educate us, but unfortunately, with events such as the Asian Arts Festival, the people who turn up are predominantly Asian students. This defeats the very purpose of such events: to showcase and introduce different cultures to the entire student body. Such opportunities are few and far between and must be cherished. If the average Andover student believes that his or her time is better spent lounging around on a Saturday night than learning about other cultures, then these events will never achieve their goals.
An inherent advantage of coming to Andover is the privilege of being able to interact with people who are different from the person who stares back at you in the mirror. Andover is a diverse school in the broadest terms–not only in terms of race, but also in terms of socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity. We can learn from our peers, by understanding them, their experiences and their beliefs.
If you have never thought about going to a multicultural clubs or attending an event sponsored by one, I strongly encourage you to do so. Many of us told our admission interviewer that one of the reasons we wanted to go to Andover was to experience its diversity. Now that we are here, we need to step outside of our comfort zone and experience this diversity. You will undoubtedly learn really interesting things about those around you. I know I have.
Lucas Png is a new Upper from Singapore.
