ALANA conference to showcase multicultural fashions, music, dance

"United We Shine" sets the theme and the multicultural tone for the 31st annual ALANA Student Leadership Conference Sept. 13 to 19 at SUNY Oswego, featuring a peace walk, motivational keynote address, alumni panel discussion, community service project, fashion show and a performance by Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre.

"With the theme of 'United We Shine,' all of the ethnic and cultural organizations on campus can come together and showcase the issues and make our presence known across campus," said Tope Kayode, president of the African Student Organization.

The ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) Student Leadership Conference promotes a multicultural environment at the college, allowing all members of the campus community, as well as those from other colleges and universities, to interact positively in an atmosphere of mutual consideration and understanding.

The popular ALANA Fashion Show will feature David Etse and the Adanfo Drummers with their West African rhythms, stand-up comic Kiry Shabaz and perennial favorite DJ Tumbo, aka SUNY Oswego alumnus Rufaro Matombo.

Zana Dillard, president of the Caribbean Student Association, said she can't wait for the fashion show, a ticketed event that will start at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, in Tyler Hall's Waterman Theatre. Tickets are $7 ($5 for SUNY Oswego students, faculty and staff with current ID) and are available at any SUNY Oswego box office, online at tickets.oswego.edu or by calling 315-312-2141.

"I'm looking forward to the show. It features different looks from different cultures," Dillard said. "And I like the dancing."

Tiempo Libre, celebrated for its exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sound and Latin rhythms with multicultural influences, also will emphasize the joys of dance in its performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Hewitt ballroom. There will be a dance floor and Latino dance professionals will be on hand.

Three times nominated for Grammy Awards, the band brings its distinctive take on timba -- a genre that blends Cuban music with salsa, American R&B and funk with the strong influence of Afro-Caribbean folkloric music -- to put a punctuation mark on the ALANA conference. Tickets are $20 ($5 for students) and are available at any SUNY Oswego box office, online at tickets.oswego.edu or by calling 315-312-2141.

Lasting relationships

Tiraya Conyers, a SUNY Oswego alumna, personal trainer and founder of Vanity Unedited Yoga & Meditation in New York City, will deliver the conference keynote address during an event at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in Marano Campus Center auditorium. She will address motivational themes relevant to student leadership, personal development and professional growth.

The seventh annual ALANA Unity Peace Walk will start at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at Oswego City Hall, en route to Penfield Library on campus. ALANA organizers will lead the walk, designed to demonstrate diversity within the Oswego community and to build lasting relationships on and off campus.

 In another community undertaking, student leaders will join Michelle Bishop of Penfield Library to visit the Children's Center of Oswego on Wednesday, Sept. 13, to provide activities and readings from around the world for the children.

The Alumni Student Leadership Panel will feature graduates of the college sharing how their growth in student involvement and leadership helped lead to career success. ALANA leaders will moderate the event at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in Room 114 of Marano Campus Center. A networking reception will follow in the adjacent Hearth Lounge.

Parking for ticketed ALANA events is included in the price of a ticket, and is available in the employee lot in front of Culkin Hall and the employee and commuter lots behind Hart and Funnelle residence halls. For all other events, those without a current campus parking sticker can visit oswego.edu/parking for information on obtaining a day-use permit. 

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