The opening ceremonies of the 2007 “Paly Global” international festival began this morning with the synchronized claps of the Paly choir. Paly teacher and this year’s Mistress of Ceremonies, Letitia Burton, stepped up to the podium to introduce the event, donning a festive get up of traditional Nigerian clothing. Tribal drum beats filled the air as Patrick O’Consky accompanied the voices of the choir with his percussionist skills.

For students electing to carry a flag the festival began much earlier. Flag bearers met outside of the gym at the beginning of fourth period where they were painstakingly arranged in alphabetical order according to the name of the country their flag represented, with the exception of the United States, which was placed in the very front.

“We’re very proud to represent our country” said Cassidy Busch and Erica Gage, the two seniors assigned to carry the Stars and Stripes.

After the choir performed a masterful rendition of Singabahambayo, a traditional South African song, Burton introduced ASB Vice Presdident Neal Ketchum and ASB Secretary Kristen Witte.

Then came in the flag bearers. The flags spanned from Afghanistan, Argentina, and Armenia to Venezuela, Wales, and, finally, Yugoslavia. After all of the flags had been presented, Burton stepped back up to the podium and decried “show some love for all of our flag bearers.”

Burton then went on to express her feelings about the importance of the International Festival. “We are just a small place in a big world,” Burton said. “This festival is an opportunity to connect with cultures outside of our own.”

Burton then introduced the festival’s first speaker, Erin Ganju, a representative for Room to Read, an international literacy initiative. Ganju first rallied the school together with a large cheer of “Yo!”, a shout she claimed is common in large groups throughout Vietnam. Ganju then announced that she wished to verbally “lead a journey through the life of a child with a poor educational situation.” She proceeded to explain the arduous journeys and destitute conditions third world children must endure in order to receive an education that is still mediocre at best, textbooks being shared three to four ways, some students learning to read upside down. She then delineated the process of funding and building that Room to Read employs, doing such things as building new schools, creating multi-lingual children’s books, and providing scholarships for undereducated females that sustain them through high school. Ganju told some very specific success stories about children reacting productively to these educational measures. She concluded by asking half of the Paly student body to stand and then explaining that 850 million people in the world are illiterate, and that if this ratio was carried over the United States, every student standing would be denied a basic education.

The tone changed from sobering to silly as Daniel Nainan took the mic. A half Indian half Japanese stand up comedian, Nainan delighted the crowd with his jokes, several of which were rooted, somewhat controversially, around his heritage. “I’m Indian and Japanese,” Nainan said, “so I get my sushi from 7-11.” Nainan’s humor walked the line between funny and offensive at times, but it still managed to evoke uproarious laughter and applause from the student body and staff. “My mom is so Japanese that when I was born I came out cordless,” Nainan said.

After Nainan finished his act the students bustled out of the gym and onto the quad where delightful array of food options from all over the international palette were available. From Pad Thai to Quesadillas to Pizza, any appetite was satisfied with the bountiful banquet of worldly cuisine. Food tickets were a dollar each.

After an extended lunch serenaded by a blasting mix of J Pop, Mariachi, Punjabi Bhangra and local Hip Hop, the bell rang and the first day of the International Festival came to an end.