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By JESSICA PARCHER
Staff Writer

WOOSTER - A presentation on the "N*SYNC of Pakistan;" an introduction to Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha; a look at Thailand's prostitution and tourism industries; a lesson on the history  and symbolism of the colorful Kente cloths from Ghana. Dressed in their native clothes and equipped with a slew of treasures from their homelands, four international students from The College of Wooster are sharing these and other presentations with the community as part of the college's new Ambassadors Program.

With money from the McGregor Fund in Michigan, the program is in its first year, said coordinator Nicola Kille. The program was designed to allow international students to share their knowledge, stories and experiences from their home countries to the greater Wayne County area.

"Part of the college's goal is to increase the drive to attract more interest in the international programs, and we wanted something to get the international students talking to more people in the college and the community," Kille said. "So we call this our in-reach and outreach, because these students are sharing their wealth of knowledge and experiences about their homes."

Following an intensive application and interview process last spring, four students were chosen for the ambassadorship, which includes a research project done in the home country over the summer and a yearlong obligation to talk to other students and organizations on the campus, classes at area school districts as well as community groups.

This year's ambassadors are sophomores Sajal Sthapit from Napal and Elizabeth Calhoun from Thailand, as well as juniors Christabel Dadzie from Ghana and Zoheb Veljee from Pakistan.

"I really feel like we're serving the community because I'm letting more people know about our countries, which is very, very important to us," said Dadzie, who conducted her research on the symbols on Kente cloth in Ghana. "As time goes by, more people will know about these places and will want to visit. It makes me feel important, that my culture is worth sharing."

Dadzie said she has presented different lectures at Wooster High School so far as an ambassador, and soon will speak to an international relations class at the college, a comfortable place for her, as she is an international relations major.

"The first thing I always show them is where Ghana is," Dadzie said with a smile. "Here is Ghana. This is where it is. To me, that is the basis for everything, that they know where my country is."

Dadzie said this starting point allows her to get at the stereotypes people have about African countries, as she is able to use her experiences to educate the audience about the Ghana she has known.

Relda Smith, a teacher at Wooster High School, has had two presentations given to her "Resources for living" class and one given to her "global gourmet" class. She said she has found the students' presentations to be a lot of fun for her classes.

"They've been just wonderful in the classes," Smith said. "They've brought a fresh perspective to what we're doing."

Veljee attended one of Smith's classes and was surprised to find himself cooking a dish his mother made for his family when he was growing up.

"When I was at the high school, I thought I was going to just talk about our food and eating in our culture, but we actually had to make the food and I've never done that before in my life. It was amazing," said Veljee, who is a native of Karachi, Pakistan. "People have been so inviting and I think it's amazing for people to take such interest in our cultures in a town like Wooster."  

Kille said the interest in the ambassador program has been overwhelming for so early in the school year. Though many of the presentations have been done at Wooster High School, she said other groups, including the Ohio State University/Agricultural Technical Institute, Edgewood Middle School, Smithville High School and the Wayne Center for the Arts have inquired about having the ambassadors speak.

"The ambassadors are just really fired up, which is good," Kille said. "And it's great seeing the people's reactions, whether it's on campus or at these schools.

Reporter Jessica Parcher can be reached at (330) 287-1632 or jparcher@the-daily-record.com.

Editor: NKille
Updated: October 17 2002