SFT Smith Organizes Sold-Out Event

On Saturday night, SFT Chapter at Smith College organized a fullhouse event, attended by over 200 students and parents. The featured performers of the event, a group of monks from Drepung Gomang monastery, showcased the spi-ritual aspects of Tibetan culture for about an hour. Dawa Yangzom, Chapter President of Smith SFT, introduced the evening with words that describe every Tibetan’s deepest emotions. “Although it’s wonderful to have the monks perform onstage and showcase Tibetan culture,” she said, “I wish that we didn’t have to do this in the first place.” She added that ideally, all Tibetans would prefer watching such sacred performances in the Barkhor Square before the Potala, not on stage in a foreign country.”

Tenzin Seldon, Chapter Chair of Mount Holyoke SFT, shared a moving and eye-opening account of her personal journey in Tibet. Traveling in Tibet can be deceptive, she said, because there is a veneer of colorful freedom that belies China’s relentless, systematic destruction of Tibetan culture, religion and language.

Dawa Yangzom, President, Smith SFT Chapter

Nervous before the show: Drepung Gomang monks wait for the right time to appear onstage

Buddhist Dialectics: are they debating the merits vs demerits of the Iraq War?

One Group: members of SFT Smith and Drepung Gomang, neighboring SFTers, and myself in the hot blue suit jacket.