Bridging Cultures

by Lisa Watts

Wooster Ambassadors for the 2003-04 year: Grace-Ann Lindsay ’04 of Jamaica, Zareef Huda ’05 of Bangladesh, Jai Sarr ’05 of The Gambia, Elina Ojanen ’04 of Israel, and Felipe Millán-Calhoun ’06 of Mexico.

A dozen teenage girls sit captivated as the speaker reenacts a ritual to prepare the bride for her wedding night. It’s a loving mother’s farewell, given as she braids her daughter’s hair.

"Don’t come running back home when you have a fight," she advises. "Work things out with your husband. He is your family now. You must love him and respect him. And listen to the wisdom of your co-wives."

Co-wives?

Welcome to the Ambassadors Program, in which a select group of Wooster international students share their culture with the campus and the community. They receive no pay and earn no academic credit for their time. But the five students chosen this year agree that being an ambassador is a highlight of their college experience.

The 2003-04 ambassadors come from Bangladesh, Israel, The Gambia, Jamaica, and Mexico. In the fall semester alone, they made more than seventy presentations, reaching hundreds of people in grade school classes, service organizations, even a grandmothers’ club.

Nicola Kille coordinates the program, which is financed by a three-year grant from The McGregor Fund of Detroit.

"Presentations involving food are very popular," Kille says. She schedules the appearances by working a list of more than 250 organizational contacts. Kille also coaches the ambassadors on their speeches, drives them to their appointments, and offers post-program critiques. Ambassadors are expected to make at least one presentation every other week and are not permitted to skip classes to speak.

Each ambassador receives an allowance to purchase cultural artifacts so that audiences can enjoy a hands-on look at the country. Traditional clothing, musical instruments, jewelry, and kitchen utensils are among dozens of items that line shelves in the Overholt House, where the program is headquartered.

One shelf illustrates the impact of globalization: a row of Coca-Cola containers representing each Ambassador’s country. Things go better in Israel with a red Hebrew can, while in Bangladesh they drink the beverage from a bottle printed in Bengali. The Gambia also bottles its Coke, while Mexico sells it in cans.

In a fashion design class at Wooster High School, Jainaba Sarr ’05 points out her country, The Republic of The Gambia, on a map of Africa. She launches into a description of fabrics and clothing styles typical of major Gambian tribes. Her audience is polite but restrained as she recruits models for a quick fashion show.

But when the teens become guests at her mock Gambian wedding, conducted on a round mat sewn from animal hides, their curiosity is piqued. Co-wives? The students exchange glances, not sure they have heard correctly. As soon as the ceremony ends, hands wave.

Yes, Sarr confirms, polygamy is common in The Gambia because of Muslim influence. While dating has become the norm, some marriages still result from betrothals, in which Gambian girls are promised as wives in infancy and wear a bracelet throughout childhood to indicate their arranged marriage status.

Grace-Ann Lindsay ’04 from Jamaica uses her laptop computer to play clips for students in a music appreciation class at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute. A Bob Marley tune spurs discussion about Rastafarianism and religious practices in Jamaica. Students are surprised to learn that Rastafarianism is loosely organized and not the norm in Jamaica, despite Hollywood portrayals.

"How does Jamaica view the United States?" an ATI student asks.

"Like all countries, Jamaica has people who hate Americans," Lindsay responds. "But most Jamaicans view the United States as a neighbor up the road."

Felipe Millán-Calhoun ’06 describes some foods typical of his homeland to a Wooster High global gourmet class. His mission, he jokes, is to impress upon his audiences that Mexicans do not live off of what is served at Taco Bell. On a follow-up class visit, he supervises as co-ed teams learn to make flour tortillas. He brings a tortilla press to flatten the dough before it is fried in oil.

But tortilla dough takes a special touch which some teams don’t have. "It’s supposed to be like Play-Doh," Millán-Calhoun encourages as he watches over a shoulder. "Knead it to find the right texture."

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