Access Academy Graduation

Saturday was the big graduation ceremony for the Access Academy, which is a one-year program designed to prepare the students in english, math and computer skills before the University curriculum begins. Some of the girls coming in have never seen a computer, and their english levels vary widely, so it's important that they're all up to a certain level. It also includes leadership training and introduction to critical thinking, because most of Asia still relies on rote memorization for educational pedagogy. This causes a problem when you try and use a liberal arts education format....
Here are few photos from the ceremony.
First, here's me in my first attempt at wearing a saree. My neighbor, the wife of another faculty, helped me to put it on. It starts with a drawstring slip underneath so you can't see through it (many sarees, including this one are very sheer), and the small half-blouse. Then, the saree itself is about 7 yards of fabric that is wrapped once around the waist and tucked into the waistband of the slip. Then most of the rest of it is pleated in the front and tucked into the front. Then the last bit of it is wrapped around the back and over your shoulder. There are a few pins at stategic locations to keep it in place, but most women don't use many pins once they get used to it. It's actually quite secure. It was a little bulky walking with all that fabric pleated in the front, but this one was particularly long b/c it was designed to make a matching blouse off fabric from the end. However, I purchased a ready-made blouse so I had it in time for the graduation. Also, the portion that goes over the shoulder is usually longer, but the woman who wrapped it said it was easier this way. It's a little funny how it's not acceptable to show ANY amount of leg and normally not the shoulders, but it's fine if your belly is visible....different cultures! Sometimes women will use pins to secure the fabric to the bottom of the blouse, or let the part over the shoulder drape down to the wrist so less skin shows. I had the shoulder part pinned, though so it would be easier to handle.
Here is an image of the big-wigs at the ceremony. Left to right are: Rehana Alam Khan, director of Admissions, Kamal Ahmad, founder and President/CEO of AUW, Foreign Minister Dupi Moni (the first woman foreign minister not only in Bangladesh but of all South Asia), and Minister Hasan Mahmud, for the Ministry for the Environment and Forest.Because there were two ministers there, there were LOTS of media and they were literally elbowing each other and jostling for space near the woman, Dupi (apparently no one really cared about the environment minister)--they were crawling all over the stage and clinging to the walls while she talked--it was VERY distracting and annoying. The media was also sitting in the row directly behind us and were constantly talking to each other and on their cell phones the entire time. I had to turn around and shush them a couple times--I don't think they liked a woman telling them what to do, but I couldn't hear anything and I thought it was really disrespectful to the students.
Here's her speaking and although this photo doesn't convey how many reporters and photographers there were or how close they were to her, it gives you an idea. They didn't just stand there, but were constantly moving around, fighting each other for position and generally being a huge distraction. In the US, you wouldn't even be allowed onstage! Not to mention it seemed like a security issue to have so many of them surrounding her....The next photo is of Kathy Schneider, the outgoing Access Academy director. She gave one of the best graduation speeches I've ever heard (and I feel like I've been to a lot of graduations...). Her two main points were 1) Be part of the solution (complaining and procrastinating never solved anything) and 2) Be grateful for what you have right now and savor the moment. We would all do well to follow those lessons!
Here's one of the student's lined up to receive their certificates. It was fun to see them all dressed up and most of them had traditional dress from their home countries. They were all so excited and happy.
And this final one is a few of us faculty all dressed up for the ceremony: