Rangeela Coming
Many people don't realize that Calvin College has one of the largest contingents of international students of any college or university in West Michigan. This year, for example, there are over 200 international students at Calvin, not including Canada. Those students represent countries from around the globe, 51 in all, everything from Argentina to Zimbabwe.
Each year Calvin is enriched by its international students; they add a global perspective to life at Calvin in and out of the classroom. And each year Calvin's international students present a gift to the community with a talent and variety show they call Rangeela. This year the show will be held twice since in past years it has always sold out early. Rangeela will be February 22 and 23 in the Fine Arts Center at Calvin.
The word Rangeela mean "colorful" and annually Rangeela is colorful in many senses of the word. Costumes often feature dress native to the countries of the performers and they are vivid and striking in their detail. Music is flavored with the beats of many different cultures. And the faces of the performers represent all of the colors of God's earthly Kingdom.
Rangeela organizers bill the two hour show as "a trip around the world in one night." For 2002 that trip around the world will include such stops as Asia, including Korea, Japan and China, Africa, the Americas and Europe.
Ericko Yulianto (above) is a Calvin senior who hails from Indonesia and is this year's student committee chair. He is excited about Rangeela 2002 and says the mission for the show is broader than just Calvin's campus.
"We want of course for Calvin to support Rangeela," he says, "but we also want Grand Rapids in general to attend. We want people to be aware of cultural diversity, something God has given us. We like for people to know we are present here and we are here having friendship with people."
Yulianto says the events of September 11 have changed life for Calvin's international students. "America is more afraid of foreigners," he says, "and so we hope that an even like Rangeela can help build bridges again between American culture and other cultures. We are hopeful."
Rangeela will begin at 8 pm each evening on Fenruary 22 and February 23. Tickets are just $3 for students and $4 for adults and available at the Calvin Box Office or by calling 957-6282.