Ply Pirom (third from left), UEM representative and Le Thuy Linh (fifth from left) a.k.a. Gaia and the group receive a personal applause from Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President
'Rebirth for Gaia…' bags top award in AIT Welcome Show
'Rebirth for Gaia: Ancient Call for the Modern Time', a performance presented by a pool of talented new students of the Urban Environmental Management Field of Study (UEM FoS) from the Asian Institute of Technology's School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) dominated the country group performance in the recently concluded AIT Welcome Show held at the AIT Conference Center (AITCC) on 17 September 2005. The event was opened by Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President.
Above: Gaia acts out the struggles against destructions
The winning piece of the group was a dance-drama cum fashion show entitled 'Rebirth for Gaia: Ancient Call for the Modern Time'. The performance focused on how Mother Earth (Gaia) created the world with beauty and perfection and was destroyed through man's selfish ways. The presentation also highlighted the student's use of costumes from recycled and waste materials which reinforces the concept of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle (3Rs) as a way of saving Mother Earth.
The scene on the dying Gaia was the most dramatic part of the performance. Complemented by a haunting narration and visual presentation depicting environmental damages and losses, the audience was called into action to do something by espousing the value of simple living and high thinking.
The UEM FoS team, which is the only non-country participant, bested the other 11 country group performances. The Indonesian and Vietnamese groups, meanwhile, bagged the runner ups for this category.
The Welcome Show is an annual event organized by the Student Union to acknowledge and showcase the diverse talents of the new students from their respective countries. It also promotes unity and cooperation among the students and the faculty. This year's theme, 'AIT: Changing for the Better', conveys the idea of AIT gearing its students to make them more responsive to events and other challenges happening in the changing world.
Moreover, the show was attended by representatives from various country embassies and consulates as well as the AIT alumni.
The event also showcased other performances which include Mr. and Ms. AIT Fashion Show, dance and song presentations.