Group helps West Phila. students explore new cultures

Sometimes you don't need to travel far to learn first-hand about the world.

That's what the roughly 50 students of Cathedral of Praise Community Church's after-school program learned two weeks ago when members of the International Student Council visited.

Organized by the ISC's U.S. Affairs Committee, the group of 10 students set up booths representing their home countries, which include Germany, Japan and South Africa.

Penn students have more interaction with international customs than do others, wrote College sophomore and chief organizer of the event Erica Chan in an e-mail.

"We wanted to reach West Philadelphia students who probably are not exposed to other cultures," added College sophomore and newly-elected ISC President Trixie Canivel, who worked at the South Africa booth even though she is originally from the Philippines.

For two hours, students had the chance to "travel" to each country - learning about different cultures and engaging in arts and crafts, from folding paper cranes "in Japan" to making crowns "in the UK," all while listening to international music in the background.

Although unfamiliar with most of the songs, the kids went wild when "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men came on.

"It was definitely one of the most memorable moments of the trip," Canivel said.

Penn students seemed to benefit as much from the community service events as the kids.

"Their reaction was just heartwarming to me," said Wharton freshman Gandharv Bedi.

Hailing from India, he showed off famous Indian and Pakistani tourist spots to a group of students who, for the most part, knew little about his home country.

At the end of his shift, Bedi gave the group a pop quiz to see if they had learned anything, and most of them had.

"For me, that was my mission accomplished," he said.

Members of the ISC - a relatively new group that received SAC funding this for the first time this year - said they were pleased with the event.

Chan wrote that although children usually like to leave events "promptly," most stayed back, even though the event lasted longer than planned.

Although slated as a one-time event, its success may turn it into a regular occurrence, committee members said.

"The kids were really intrigued by what we had to say," said Canivel. "It was really uplifting to show them that part of Penn."

Added Bedi, "I made a difference. I taught them something new."

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