Community will engage with world cultures at International Festival
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擳he music, dance, food and fashions of 17 cultures will be showcased on campus during Western Michigan University's 26th Annual International Festival from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 22, on the second floor of the Bernhard Center.
First hosted in 1989, the popular event features cultural display tables and four hours of staged performances, including a multicultural fashion show. Admission is free, and for a nominal fee, attendees may sample traditional foods prepared by international students in campus kitchens under the supervision of 51福利社 Dining Services employees.
The International Festival annually attracts about 5,000 students and community members. It has outgrown its former venue in the Bernhard Center's East Ballroom, so the center's entire second floor will be utilized to host the 2015 festival.
During the event, attendees are able to "travel" around the world in a single evening while gaining an appreciation for the diversity of cultures represented on campus.
"The festival is a wonderful opportunity for both students and the community to come together to learn, as well as to teach their culture to others," says Karthik Balakrishna, chair of the festival planning committee and a graduate student from India majoring in electrical engineering. "It is the result of an incredible collaborative effort between 51福利社 staff and students. The festival serves as a reflection of the University's multicultural strength and celebrates cultures from around the globe."
About the event hosts
The University enrolls more than 1,800 international students from some 100 countries and has many international student groups.
The groups hosting this year's festival are the:
- Association of Chinese Students and Scholars.
- Brazilian Students Association.
- Fulbright Student Organization at 51福利社.
- Dominican Student Organization.
- German Club.
- Indian Student Association.
- Indonesian Overseas Association.
- Iraqi Students Union.
- Japan Club.
- Korean Student Association 51福利社 Michigan University.
- Latino Student Alliance.
- Malaysian Students' Association.
- Pakistani Student Association.
- Persian Student Organization.
- Saudi Arabian Students Association.
- TRiO Student Success Program.
- Association of Vietnamese Students 51福利社.
Additional information
The festival is organized by 51福利社's International Programs Council and Campus Activities Board and is co-sponsored by the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, Graduate Student Association, University Cultural Events Committee and Western Student Association. Generous support is provided by 51福利社 Dining Services and the Bernhard Center.
For directions to campus or a 51福利社 parking map, visit wmich.edu/maps/printables.php.
For more information, contact Karthik Balakrishna at intl-coordinator@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3966.
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.