A Night of Culture

 Photo: Traditional Dance by Korean Night School by Shelby Stiner

The Korean Student Association put on a night of culture and entertainment Monday April 16, in the Meacham Auditorium. 

Korean Night was a KSA event weaving modern and traditional Korean culture through singing, dancing, skits, and even a self defense lesson. 

The show started out with a video briefly describing the history of Korea and where they had to come from to get to where they are today. 

“This night is about showing Americans what Korea really is,” KSA President Kiae Chin Lee said. “ Tonight is about sharing our culture with the students.” 

The more modern performances included popular Korean music called K-Pop and there was a screen set up translating the words for the people in the audience who did not speak Korean. 

The traditional performances included a TaeKwonDo demonstration, a traditional dance by the young students from the Korean night school as well as a skit about a woman whose powerful farts brought her lasting love. 

There was also a raffle drawing in between acts where KSA shirts and various foods were given away. The big raffle item was a pair of Dr. Dre Beats headphones. 

“I didn’t expect too much from Korean night at first,” said International Business Senior and foreign exchange student Sunyoung Park.  “ But then when I was asked to be a part of it I realized that I can help Koreans by letting people know about Korea in some way.” 

To find out more about Korean Night or the Korean Student Association visit www.ouksa.org 

A Walk for a Cure

Photo: Survivors taking the first lap of the night. By Shelby Stiner

On April 21, the University of Oklahoma hosted a walk for cancer around the South Oval

Relay for Life is an overnight event raising money for the American Cancer Society. The opening ceremony for this event began with a survivor telling her story of her fight with cancer and her road to recovery. Then all the survivors attending the event start out the event by taking the first lap around the track with the Relay for Life banner. People standing around the track cheered for the survivors, handing them gifts and giving them hugs as they went by. 

Sarah Wible, a sophomore pre-nursing major, said that Relay for Life to her means awareness.

“ Relay for Life reminds me of the struggle I’ve been through and allows me to see others that have been through my struggle,” Wible said. “ it also gives a face to those who are still struggling with this and makes people want to donate money.” 

Wible ended her last round of chemo treatment two days before Panhellenic Recruitment and said that although she was tired, she was excited for what was to come. 

“I was just excited to start a new chapter in my life,” Wible said. “Like I closed one chapter and immediately started a new one, one where no one knew me as the girl who had cancer.” 

Throughout the night there were activities such as flag football, Zumba, and a Ms. Relay pageant where men dressed up as women and walked around the South Oval asking for donations and the man with the most money raised won the pageant. 

There were also musical acts who came and sang for the participants camping out. 

“We raised over $100,000,” Audrey Leeder a Relay for Life committee member said, “ that’s $10,000 more than we raised last year.” 

To find out how to get involved with Relay for Life next year visit http://www.relayforlife.org/

Shaving Heads for Childhood Cancer

Jay Menton and Theresa James, members of Alpha Phi omega, posing with their freshly shaved heads. 

PHOTO: Shelby Stiner

A service fraternity shaves heads to raise money for a cure for children’s cancer. 

Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, ran a barbershop tent on the South Oval Thursday, April 5, in order to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. 

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a charity that funds research to find a cure for childhood cancer. The foundation started in 2000 as competition between two friends to see who could raise the most money for childhood cancer research by shaving their heads. St. Baldrick’s is the largest foundation for childhood cancer research, second only to St. Jude’s. 

“St. Baldrick’s grants the most amount of money in the form of research grants for childhood cancer research,” Jay Menton, Alpha Phi Omega Chair of St. Baldrick’s Day said. 

People who wanted to participate in the event paid $5 to have their head shaved and the shaved hair would then be donated to Wigs for Kids, a program that makes wigs from the donated hair for children with cancer. 

Menton said that the children affected by cancer are normally going through a time in their life where looks are very important. He says the volunteers who pledge to shave their heads do so to stand with the children in their time of suffering. 

“Our Volunteers want to show [the kids] that it’s alright to be bald, plenty of people do it,” Menton said. 

Theresa James, the fundraising chair for Alpha Phi Omega, is a perfect example of trying to show the children it’s okay to be bald. She shaved off all of her shoulder length, thick, curly blonde hair to raise money and donate to Wigs for Kids. 

“Donating my hair means someone else is going to have it, and somebody else is going to enjoy it,” James said. “And my hair will grow back.”  

Alpha Phi Omega hopes to raise $7,500 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. 

To learn more about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and how to donate money visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/ 

To learn more about Alpha Phi Omega visit http://www.ou.edu/apo/about.html