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Proposal For The Annual Holiday Festival at the

University of Idaho for Multicultural Awareness



Submitted to: The National Endowment for the Arts



Date: July 20, 2014



Ian Sullivan
English Major at the University of Idaho
sull2920@vandals.uidaho.edu
(208) 819-3273



Abstract:

In our small community in and around Moscow, Idaho, a lack of knowledge for other
cultures and religions is present, as well as how they dedicate their time during the
holiday season. While our community remains stagnant and content in celebrating
the holiday season in its predominantly Christian way, meaning catering to the
celebration of the Christmas holiday and the traditions that go along with it, it also
remains unaware and often times unfortunately intolerant of the other cultural
traditions have to offer.

Enclosed is a grant proposal to fund what would be an annual holiday festival at the
University of Idaho, taking place sometime in early to mid-December, a short time
before the students conclude the fall semester and go on winter break. It is
important to open the eyes of the students to how others celebrate these special
times, and this festival can help to bring awareness and tolerance.







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Table of Contents

Overview3

Current Dialogue3

Medium and Technique3-4

Preparation.,.4

Outcomes.4-5

Line-item Budget.5

































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Overview

Its clear the most commonly celebrated winter holiday in our community is
Christmas, as Christians dominate the area. The purpose of this proposed holiday
festival is not to discourage students from continuing to celebrate the holiday
season as they wish and see fit. In fact, one of the objectives of the festival would be
to help to enrich their own experiences with their own holidays. Furthermore, the
festival would expose the students to other holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanza,
the cultures or religions that celebrate these holidays. With this exposal and
engagement, students will come to have a greater multicultural appreciation, as well
as a much more enhanced college experience, contributing to a much more fulfilled
lifestyle. At its core, the festival will also allow another opportunity for the student
body to interact and participate in extracurricular activities during a time of the
year when few are offered.

The vision for the final product of the holiday festival includes everything from
concerts to film screenings. Other possibilities include fairs, church services, and
guest speakers. Due to the time of the year and the weather, the majority of these
events would have to take place indoors. As the football season is about wrapped up
at this time of year, the Kibbie Dome would be a suitable location for many of these
events. Other suitable locations include Memorial Gym, the law school court room,
the commons, and various lecture halls and auditoriums around campus.


Current Dialogue

My inspiration for this proposal came from the overwhelmingly apparent lack of
knowledge and appreciation for other cultures within our small college community.
I feel that the University of Idahos student body could greatly benefit from a
multicultural festival such as this one, and I have a passionate desire to bring more
diversity and tolerance to our campus, increasing its integrity.

The originality in my vision lies within its intention to expose the students to
cultural aspects that they may be entirely unfamiliar with, and even possibly
uncomfortable with. However, with the participation in the events this proposed
festival has to offer, the student body as a whole can only greatly benefit. As years go
on, this annual festival will only strengthen and become more enriching.

Medium and Technique

As I previously mentioned in the overview section, the festival will be best served
primarily indoors, and there is a variety of facilities on campus that can
accommodate adequately. There is ample space provided in these facilities,
allowing for this festival to be as immense and rich as it wants to be. The resources
are present; its just a matter of execution.

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I have a few minor concerns for this festival, but all are avoidable and manageable
with proper preparation. The main concern would be the weather. While I have
proposed that the festival should be held indoors, it could still be an issue for
student transportation and the commute from facility to facility. Proper precautions
will need to be taken to make sure sidewalks on campus are free of snow and ice,
ensuring the safety of festival-goers. Depending on the amount of attendees the
festival is able to draw, space could be a possible issue but time management can
easily fix this. An issue that may arise, although I dont see it happening for sure, is
protest or objections from certain members of the student body that may not feel
comfortable with the subject matter of the festival. While these students have the
right to protest, its vital we make sure the protesting is appropriate and not making
festival-goers feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

As the RFP requires no compensation for performers or contributors, it is of the
utmost important that those performing or presenting are willing to do so on a
volunteer basis. This may be extremely difficult to convince, however I know that it
is doable.

The weekend before dead week during the fall semester, including the Friday prior,
would be a perfect and suitable fit for the festival as it will allow a temporary and
fun escape for the students from their stressful studies as they are about to start
preparing for their finals.

Preparation

I have had minor experience in event planning at the job I attend to during the
summers. This involves working on a golf course within a private community, in
which there are numerous events through out the summer the require precise detail
and dedication to ensure the happiness of all attendees. I also have volunteer work
with the Pullman Chamber of Commerce at large events, helping to make sure
everything goes smoothly. I have witnessed and shadowed event coordinators who
dedicate all of their time in the work setting to strictly planning events such as this,
making sure everything from a simple food vendor to a large stage is fully
operational and contributing to the greater good of the event and the happiness of
the attendee.

This experience has given me a keen knowledge of time management, crowd
control, and leadership. All of these are vital in making sure the proposed festival
runs smoothly.

Outcomes

The desired outcome and success of this proposed festival greatly enhances my
multicultural interests. I have always been deeply interested in the humanities,
especially relating to the ideologies of other people and how they celebrate life. I
have always had a fascination for the holiday season; especially in terms of how
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most of us in America dedicate it to our Christmas traditions, often seemingly
unaware that there are so many more traditions the world has to offer. Just as I have
done my best to expose myself to these other traditions, I wish to do so for the
whole University of Idaho student body. I care about my school and those who
attend, and wish for a more enriched, appreciative, tolerant and diverse setting with
Moscow.

Line-item Budget

As the grant sponsor offers only five thousand dollars to work with, it will be
important to use every dollar accordingly and efficiently. It will be best served for
everyone involved to have someone brought in as a willing volunteer to budget the
money. I see an approximate majority of the money going to the fair, with the rest
divvied up between concerts, films and any other minor events during the festival.