Students may have seen information for International Student Union’s upcoming dinner on the social media platforms Twitter or Facebook instead of on a flyer around campus, which had been done in previous years.
International Student Union’s annual upcoming International Dinner will focus on promoting sustainability by using less paper during the event and will feature more diverse performances in addition to international cuisine.
This year, ISU is promoting the event through social media, emails and television ads instead of flyers and posters advertising the event, Hashim Pashtun, the president of ISU, said.
“We are using all other platforms possible for us — except printing paper,” Pashtun, a graduate student studying civil engineering, said.
In previous years, menu cards used to be available at every dinner table. For the upcoming event, the menu and the agenda of the event will be emailed in a PDF to ticket holders.
At International Dinner, 15 international dishes will be served, such as pulihora, vegetarian Indian dish and gyudon, a Japanese beef dish. There will also be many vegetarian options, Pashtun said.
All the food sounds “amazing,” Michael Grossi, a programming director of ISU, said.
“This is my first year actually getting to go to the International Dinner,” Grossi, a senior studying marketing, said. “I’m just really excited. I love all kinds of cultural foods. I’m excited for all of it.”
ISU is trying to make the performances more diverse this year, including performances from American students to portray the idea that International Dinner is not just for international students, Pashtun said.
Some other performances at International Dinner will include a magic performance, an Asian solo pianist and Indian songs performed by the Indian Students Association, Grossi said.
“I’m looking forward to the Indian Students Association’s songs because I’m going to be going to Diwali, their event on Sunday,” Grossi said.
Yvonne Yan, the programming director for ISU, said she is most looking forward to a magician who will perform.
“I’m personally really looking forward to it,” Yan, a senior studying strategic communication, said. “It will be really exciting.”
An electric guitarist will play a classic Iranian song and also an American piece, Alena Klimas, the ISU vice president, said.
“International students would be interested for the same reason domestic students are: trying new cultures,” Klimas, a senior studying political science and global studies war and peace, said. “Even international students come to OU and might not have the knowledge about another country or another culture. So it’s just as important for an Indian student to get to know about an Omani meal as it is for an American student to get to know about an Omani meal.”
Tickets for the event are being sold at the first floor of Baker Center and cost $10 per person, Pashtun said.
