She refers to herself as "just the grandma" when she talks about the thousands of students she has devoted so much of her life to assisting...
(from Dan Kennedy's article in the Illinois Quarterly, Spring 1991)
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| Virginia Sharp receiving the Cosmo Service Award from Cosmopolitan Club President Susan Taylor (photo Ronald Peters) |
Virginia Coultas Sharp, "just the grandma," was this year's Cosmopolitan Club Service Award recipient at the 15th Annual International Dinner held at the University YMCA on April 5th, 1998. Cosmopolitan Club granddaughter, Delphine Mei, from Taiwan, having just received the YMCA John W. Price student award, escorted Virginia to the stage from Virginia's table, which was replete with folks from around the world. These included her 7- month-old great-granddaughter, Kieran Murphy, and Kieran's mother, Anurada Datta, originally from Madras, and Kieran's father, Mike Murphy, from the Chicago suburbs. It was another student at Virginia's table, grandson Ian Chai from Malaysia, who, a few minutes later, recognized a problem shared by the 200 diners in Latzer Hall. As the bamboo poles clicked rhythmically and two fleet Philippine tinikling dancers hopped in and out between them like birds in a rice field, Ian delighted us all by sliding the view-obstructing stage "skirts" aside to allow full vision and well-deserved appreciation of the precise timing and skilled footwork of the dancers.
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| Delphine Mei receiving the John Price Award from Ashish Debroy, who was last year's recipient. (photo Ronald Peters) |
The culinary talents of 41 cooks representing 29 countries provided unquestionably the widest array and most delectable sampling of world cuisine assembled in our 15-year dinner series. Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Pat Askew and Associate Provost for International Affairs Earl Kellogg and their spouses and long-time student mentor and friend, Professor Emeritus Erwin Small of Veterinary Medicine added their praise to that of "grandma Virginia's" long-time International Hospitality Committee colleagues, Gertie McCloy and Mary Lou St. Clair, both fully experienced in the tradition of breaking bread together with family members from far and near.
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| Special guest Dr. Erwin Small with Mary A. Hussey. (photo Ronald Peters) |
After Dean Bill Riley's welcoming remarks, which included a quiz revealing that more than 110 countries are represented on the UIUC campus, our second-year Mistress of Ceremonies, Dinah Armstead, and Master of Ceremonies, Ashish Debroy (last year's John W. Price awardee), didn't skip a beat in introducing Ambika Razdan, a graceful and spirited dancer from India; Laura Quinn and Meagan Rohan, Dennehy dancers from Ireland whose unique costumes reminded onlookers of queens in a deck of cards; the quieter, calmer Thai music played by talented biochemistry graduate student Jiab Chusacultanachai; Kristen Ekdahl and Javier Varela, who cheerfully danced the salsa; and, culminating in a grand crescendo, the strong trained voice of Yvette Cataneo, accompanied by DeWitt Tipton, performing an aria from Donizetti.
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| Laura Quinn and Meagan Rohan dancing an irish Dennehy dance. (photo Ronald Peters) |
The success of this splendid gathering can be traced to the detailed planning and hard work of Celia Bergman of the Office of International Student Affairs, Rebecca Crummey and Patrick Owen of the YMCA, and Andrea Shields of the Cosmopolitan Club, whose efforts were bolstered by the willing hands and feet! of the more than 60 volunteer cooks and performers.
Indeed, April 5th, 1998, brought together our "grandma" with an outstanding cross-section of Champaign-Urbana residents for a delightful and symbolic world family reunion.
Make sure you join us next year if you possibly can!
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| Cooks for the International Dinner standing on stage and receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience. (photo Ronald Peters) |
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