/ VOLUME 145, ISSUE 10 MONDAY,Campus APRIL 23, 2018 Times SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SINCE 1873 / campustimes.org Rwandan Miss Israel Genocide Sign Language Meets A Cappella Winner Event Lands Speaks on With Students Identity By EFUA AGYARE-KUMI By EFUA AGYARE-KUMI COPY EDITOR COPY EDITOR The Rwandan community in Supermodel Titi Aynaw, the and around Rochester came to- first black woman to ever win gether this past Saturday to honor the Miss Israel pageant, spoke “Kwibuka” — the name given about her experiences as a to the annual commemoration of Jewish Ethiopian immigrant in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis Israel at a talk last Monday. in Rwanda. Aynaw described her life as The genocide, which killed being composed of drastically over a million Tutsis in 100 days, different chapters. Her speech struck 24 years ago. Although was the beginning of a week- many students were not directly long celebration to honor the affected the genocide, the inter- 70th anniversary of Israel’s generational trauma Rwanda’s independence, organized by current youth feels was discussed Hillel. at length at the ensuing panel dis- “I wanted to bring some- cussion in Dewey Hall. thing about Israel that is less First-year Lyse Mugeni noted talked about,” said Tal Hadad, that her generation was “born to an Israeli Fellow with Hil- parents who are broken.” lel who helped bring Aynaw Senior Ian Manzi agreed, say- to campus, adding, “Not a lot ing that in his family “every April, of people actually know that things change.” One profound there is a black Jewish com- effect of the genocide on his life GABE ISAACSON / PHOTO EDITOR munity in Israel.” The Midnight Ramblers performed this past Thursday in Morey Hall with first-year Phelan Conheady, who interpreted “Signed, has been the orphans it created, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” into American Sign Language. Aynaw never entered the said Manzi. His parents looked beauty contest for herself. In- after 15 kids while he grew up stead, she said, her main goal By LOUKIA AYDAG but were unable to explain to him CULTURE EDITOR self. As an example, a more Kasper sang it instead. And was to win the final prize of a why so many of his cousins did intense expression would be Nick sang a line at the end car for her best friend. But as not have their own parents. used when signing “quiet” if that I hadn’t prepared for, she began to pass rounds, her The ceremony also included The arcs of a cappella the meaning should be “very so I had to translate it on love for a challenge and — as candle-lighting to honor some of singers in Morey Hall last quiet.” the spot.” it turned out — photoshoots the fallen victims. Names were Thursday had a temporary Various ASL Club mem- encouraged her to press on un- called from a list that included addition — who sang not First-year Katie Wong, bers who performed took til the end. family members of UR students with words but with signs. a member of the ASL Club advantage of the spotlight For Aynaw, her experiences that had been lost, as well as other The Midnight Ramblers who performed “Pray,” by to serenade members of the as an Ethiopian-Jewish immi- genocide victims. and Vocal Point were joined Sam Smith, spoke about her audience and goof around grant distinguished her from Many survivors admitted that by the American Sign Lan- performance experience and with some of the singers. from the other contestants. the genocide felt “like just yes- guage Club for a perfor- translating between English When asked by the judges terday” — including Consolée mance as part of Deaf and ASL: “It’s really inter- Classic Rambler covers why she was there, she recalled Nishimwe, whose moving testi- Awareness Week. esting from the performer’s such as “Signed, Sealed, saying: “We have already cho- mony comprised the bulk of the The week, led by the latter perspective. Analyzing the Delivered,” and “Kiss Him sen an Arabic Miss Israel, a ceremony. club, was filled with events poetry of English and all the Goodbye” were performed Russian Miss Israel, Yemen. “Somehow when you survive, that embrace American Sign metaphors that are in that by ASL Club members This is the time to choose a things keep happening,” Nishim- Language, the use and edu- and translating it into anoth- first-year Phelan Conheady black Miss Israel, me.” we said, who considers herself cation of the language on er language and the poetry and Kelsey McKeon, an Aynaw remarked on the sur- fortunate to have survived with a campus, and deaf culture in of ASL and how to convey alumna. Other performanc- reality of rising to celebrity parent, unlike so many others. Rochester as a whole. the metaphors. All while es included “Hollow,” by status from such humble be- Fourteen at the time, Nishimwe Nick Kasper, the club’s still maintaining the mes- Kasper, Clean Bandit’s ginnings. “never thought [she] would go president as well as a mem- sage of the song and beauty “I Miss You,” performed “As an immigrant, to have into hiding for 3 months.” But ber of the Midnight Ram- of language.” by Les Johnson, an alum, the opportunity to win in the that is what happened. She hid in blers, organized the event, Each performance was both with Vocal Point, and new country I dream about, it’s the fields while killers looked for which allowed students who expressive and embodied “There’s Nothing Holding really much more,” she said. her and her family, calling them knew ASL to select songs the purpose of the evening, Me Back,” performed by The supermodel made light “cockroaches.” She stayed hid- performed by either a capel- which was to acknowledge first-year Madeleine Ford- of her Ethiopian heritage, de- den when her terrified aunt tried la group and stand alongside and appreciate ASL in a fun ham and “Brown Eyed Girl” scribing her younger self as to run and was killed. Later, she them and perform. and incorporative way. performed by sophomore “the female Tarzan” in a child- hid again in a ceiling while listen- “All the performers had First-year Madeleine Bri Terrell both with the hood wild and carefree as she ing to killers boast about murder- amazing expression, and we Fordham told of an interest- Ramblers. was “running in the woods of ing her father. were blown away by their ing situation that occurred “Performing with the Ethiopia […] having the best This violence was committed emotion,” said junior Liz that emphasized the diffi- Ramblers was a very hum- time.” by people who knew her and Priore, a member of Vocal culty of translation: bling experience, and their But that simple life was her family. A close friend of Point. “It’s really a challenge. energy really fused well soon interrupted by the so- the family, who happened to be A major attribute of Amer- You can rehearse all you with my signing style. I bering effect of her mother’s Hutu (the ethnic group whose ican Sign Language is ex- want, but doing it live is a hope to have the opportuni- death when she was 9. At the extremists persecuted Tutsis), pression, where the meaning totally different experience. ty to sign with them again,” same time, her family began was even among the men who of a sign is altered based on Danny Jersey was supposed Conheady said. to “make aliyah” — a Hebrew slaughtered her three younger the intensity of the expres- to sing the song I signed, Aydag is a member of term that means to migrate to brothers. sion and the expression it- but he was sick and so Nick the Class of 2021. Israel. SEE MEMORIAL PAGE 2 SEE MISS ISRAEL PAGE 2 INSIDE THINK BEFORE CT EATS: VOCAL POINT RUSSO DISCUSSES INTERVENING SWILLBURGER AND IBTL SOFTBALL SEASON THIS CT PAGE 5 OPINIONS PAGE 4 FEATURES PAGE 8 A&E PAGE 12 SPORTS PAGE 2 / campustimes.org CAMPUS / MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018 CORRECTION A photo taken by Photo Editor Diwas Gautum was mistakenly credited to UR Photography’s Akira Ranjan Sah. A review of a TOOP show incorrectly credited sophomore Ruki Prathivadhi-Bhayankaram and first-year Rebecca Sarin with designing a donkey mask; it was designed by junior River Burgess. Students Dedicated to Help Trauma from Genocide MEMORIAL FROM PAGE 1 Rwanda was going to be a failed state, but today it is ex- Sexual violence was another emplary,” said President of the weapon used to subdue the Tut- Rwandan Diaspora Aimable sis in this time, and Nishimwe Twagilimana in his closing re- suffered this too, being dragged, marks. beaten in a corner, raped, and He went on to cite Rwanda’s abandoned there. Later she dis- high percentage of women in COURTESY OF GABE ISAACSON / PHOTO EDITOR covered the encounter had left government and environmental her HIV positive. cleanliness as examples. QUEER TERRITORIES DIGS INTO ROCHESTER'S HISTORY IN LGBTQ ISSUES In spite of all this, she sur- “There is a certain “ubudasa” vived. (uniqueness) to Rwanda now,” Students learned of 1970s forums about transgender issues at UR, black lesbians organizing in the 1990s, and Rochester Twagilimana continued, which youth fighting for LGBTQ rights this past Wednesday in Lam Square in Rush Rhees. Nishimwe wishes for herself and fellow survivors that they he said comes from its ability get the chance to be happy for to reconcile genocide survivors PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE the remainder of their lives and with genocide perpetrators. encouraged the audience to Junior Derrick Murekezi, Unknown Person Found in Lowery (1) “never lose hope.” who helped organize the event, APR.