Of Tigers, Elephants and MCC

Faculty members Jan Arabas and Sandi Albertson-Shea and Dean of International Arts Kent Mitchell recently collaborated with the Lowell organization Light of Cambodian Children to publish a bilingual Cambodian folktale, The Tiger and the Elephant.

Written in Khmer and English, the illustrated folktale is the result of an initiative funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to bridge Cambodian youth to the elder members of the Cambodian community.  The young students were trained in interview techniques by adjunct faculty member Rick Ochberg and then used their skills to collect the age-old folktales from the elders. The book is the first bilingual Cambodian folktale published in the U.S. and has the potential to boost literacy for students of all ages who want to learn English or Khmer.  The organizers of the initiative hope to publish all of the folktales that were collected by the teens.

The initiative is an outgrowth of a service learning project conducted in Professor Jan Arabas' Drawing course, where art students researched Cambodian culture and each developed a book of illustrated folktales. Students Nico Skourtis and Christine Bellitti, 2007 graduates of MCC, produced book dummies that can be sent to a publisher for review. Professor Arabas feels strongly that this service learning project inspired students to be diligent about their work and find connections between art and our communities.

For the members of the MCC community that have been involved, providing opportunities for high school and college students to make intergenerational connections and then using socially relevant art that serves a purpose for a community has been truly rewarding. To purchase a copy of The Tiger and the Elephant, contact Sayon Soeun at the Light of Cambodian Children office at sayon@reaksmey.org.