Parade of Nations Changes Format

The Parade of Students is a walking parade and includes a welcome speech along with one or two cultural performances. This year, the event will not represent different nations but rather focus on the individuals participating in the parade.

According to Judith A. Green, the director of the Office of International Programs and Services, “The new format will be more inclusive. There were no complaints on the previous format.” She added that the format has changed to focus on the individual rather than where the students are from. This will give students a great deal of opportunity to be recognized.

According to OIPS website, the university will not provide participants with large flags; rather they will dress in attire identified with their traditions and ethnicity.
Some Mason students disagree with the change saying they felt the new format was too individualized and disliked that nations were not represented in their entirety. “It’s silly because race is a social construct but nationality is identity and flags are representation of kinship, brotherhood, and cultural connection, things that tie people,” said junior music major Sarah Smith. Some also commented the new format was “boring” and “redundant.”

“The flag represents me more than what an individual could say,” said sophomore history major Myca Taylor.

“The one person cannot represent that one nation,” says senior biochemistry major Faiza Rehman. She adds, “And if they are not actually from that country or if they haven’t been there, then they may not be able to identify themselves as that culture.”
“Carrying the flag is a big honor, and it would be weird because the display of the flags was a tradition,” said sophomore music major Julio Diaz. He felt the difficulty of the changed format will not give a person of each nationality an opportunity because it would be more difficult to find people of that particular culture or someone of that culture willing to express where they are from. The previous format allowed students to carry flags of different countries even if they were not from there or was not of that cultural background.

The parade is scheduled for Apr. 6 and will go from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Students will assemble at Patriot Lounge in Student Union Building I and will march towards the Johnson Center North Plaza. In case of inclement weather, the parade will end in the Johnson Center Atrium.

For more detailed information go to http://oips.gmu.edu/programs/iweek.html. Students can sign up for the parade on the website as well.