The Latin American Student Association (LASA), which took home third place in this year's International Fiesta, has returned its trophy and prize money in protest of what its members believe to be unfair judging practices.
???Andrilisa Read, international coordinator for the Student Association (SA), planned this year's competition. According to Read, she picked judges with limited dance background because the groups performing are not professional the dances are for enjoyment even if they lack a technical knowledge of dance.
???"Clubs should do it not just to win. We're here...to show cultures to people not familiar with it," Read said. "It's about taking the audience on a journey, and showing them what it is to be from a specific country [and] what it is to be international."
???Each year, an event coordinator from the SA selects the judges for the dance competition. However, there are no set criteria by which judges are chosen.
???"The international clubs are expected to give a very professional performance that highlights cultural diversity through dance. For an event this serious, the lack of criteria to be a judge is rather alarming," said Ernesto Alvarado, vice president of LASA.
???Two members of SA and one person from the Wellness Center were chosen to judge the competition this year.
???"Every year the criteria [for judging] have changed," said Angel Rosario, treasurer of LASA. "That should be consistent."
???Read insists that the atmosphere surrounding the judging should not be so stringent.
???"I didn't want people to feel it was a battle of cultures. I didn't make it a priority to get people who were really strict," Read said.
???The group that takes first place wins a trophy, along with $1,500 for their club.
???"For that sort of money to be dealt out, there needs to be qualified judges," Alvarado said.
???Last year's judges included professors from the dance and history departments who had a more comprehensive knowledge of both culture and dance.
???"There were people picked [as judges last year] that were more qualified. We took it for granted that it would play out the same way [this year]," Rosario said.
???Ann Abraham, academic council coordinator for SA, coordinated International Fiesta last year. Each year's theme, judges and judging criteria are chosen based on the vision of that year's council, Abraham said.
???"The judging from years prior and this year are incomparable because International Fiesta is a unique show every year," Abraham said. "The way that my council and I envisioned Fiesta last year is different than the coordinator and council this year. It doesn't make one style of judging right or wrong."
???According to Alvarado, LASA is disappointed to have placed third but is not seeking a higher placement for this year's competition.
???"If it was a qualified set of judges, we could be satisfied with third place," Alvarado said.
???He added that the group did not place in last year's competition.
???"Under the eyes of a qualified panel, we didn't place and that was fine," Alvarado said.
???The group is seeking an amendment to the International Council constitution to have set criteria for judging that would be used each year. An international council meeting will be held to discuss these changes.
???"We want to know we made changes this year so next year's judging will be the best possible," said Roberto Rapalo, president of LASA. "They voted us into office for a reason and this is the best way to show them we are working for them."
???As coordinator this year, Read said she tried to do as much of the planning as possible without putting unnecessary pressure on the performers. In addition to practicing for the performance, the clubs involved help with a dinner that coincides with International Fiesta and are responsible for finding program sponsors. However, she supports the international clubs taking a more active role in deciding what criteria will be used for judging.
???"I've always tried to stress that we should do things as a whole," Read said. "The more people can get involved, the more people are going to be happy."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
