The Echo Write Up

If you have not already received and read the new newslettter The Echo by GSA, here is an electronic version of the write up on our club.

GSA Newsletter: The Echo
Publication: September, 2006
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The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Graduate Student Association was initially established in UB to foster stronger relationships among students from the 10 South East Asian member countries; Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

As stated in the association’s mission statement, the formation of ASEAN GSA was to maintain and share the richness of cultures, from the 10 members’ countries as represented on the association’s logo, to the students at UB as well as the local community.

ASEAN GSA aims to contribute to UB the differences which each country possess particularly in 7 aspects: cultural understanding, friendship, teamwork, leadership, management, love, and peace. The association is also determined to share and promote the understanding of cultural, educational, and ethnic perspectives of ASEAN countries.

Each year, ASEAN GSA participates in UB’s International Education Week held in November. It has been tradition since the formation of the association to organize a screening of film(s) in UB’s International Education Week organized by the office of International Students & Scholars’ Services.

ASEAN GSA showcases films and/or documentaries pertaining to cultural and political awareness of the people of South East Asia. As current ASEAN GSA president, Sherene Cheah (PhD - ELP) asserts , “visual presentations is a powerful medium in getting messages across while at the same time allows the general public to easily associate what is happening in other parts of the world and culture”.

In the past, ASEAN GSA presented a screening of The Will to Live, bringing the filmmaker to UB as well as one of the film’s contributors to discuss the possible range of expressions of humanity in suffering oppression. Past films and docu-dramas shown at ASEAN GSA events are The History Behind Angkor-Wat, I Not Stupid, and Bophana: Prisoner of Khmer Rouge Torturing Chamber.

Today, ASEAN GSA is comprised of a total of 60 members coming from the graduate as well as undergraduate class of UB. Members of ASEAN GSA have been actively involved in activities organized by the GSA as well as other GSA member departments, clubs and organizations. In addition to participation in social activities, ASEAN GSA has been involved in community work such as collection of funds for Tsunami survivors and blood donation drives.

If you are interested in joining ASEAN GSA, please drop an email to Sherene Cheah at spcheah@buffalo.edu. For more information and club updates of ASEAN GSA, please visit their website at: http://ww.aseangsa.blogspot.com