The second day of International Week concluded with the International Talent and Fashion Show at Baker Center Theatre. It celebrated the varied culture on campus by displaying ethnic attires.
From the depths of the shadows on stage, figures emerged dressed in alluring fabrics. The crowd applauded as a student fashioning Nigerian attire stepped on the stage.
The second day of International Week concluded with the International Talent and Fashion Show at Baker Center Theatre. It was followed by a myriad of exotic delicacies catered by local eateries such as Ginger Asian Kitchen and Habibi’s Restaurant.
The fashion and talent show lived up to the hype as additional accommodation needed to be arranged to seat the audience.
“My expectations were blown away,” Alena Klimas, a senior and the coordinator of the talent and fashion show, said. “We needed to get more chairs out.”
The event should not be reduced to recreational value, though, as it became an educational experience for both the international as well as the domestic students, Salma Alokozai, a graduate student studying business administration, said.
“(Students) come and see the (native) clothing and other performances. That is what catches their interest,” Alokozai said. “Next time they see an attire from a foreign country, they will at least have an idea or they will have a good chance at guessing which part of the world it belongs to.”
Alokozai showcased her roots as she strutted across the stage fashioning an Afghani dress.
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Mohammad Hashim Pashtun, a graduate student and the president of International Student Union, said the contestants represented their own ethnic backgrounds as well as other countries in an effort to build a bridge across cultures. The event offered an opportunity to not only celebrate one’s own but also others' cultures as well.
“Our goal is to fuse (various) ethnic identities in order to form a Bobcat family,” he said.
Miguel Gomez, a senior and the vice president of International Student Union, represented Nigeria by borrowing his friend’s native attire.
“I am not Nigerian, but I like the idea of experiencing culture by wearing different ethnic clothes,” Gomez said.
Sarah Wymer, a graduate student studying education, said the domestic students also expressed equal enthusiasm for the initiative. It ignited a desire in them to learn more about the diverse cultures, which can be seen in and around the campus.
“A lot of the times we are so focused in our cultures that we forget to notice others',” she said. “This gives us domestic students an opportunity to learn and grow.”
Nabanita Talukdar, a graduate student studying public administration, said the event was insightful while being entertaining. It upheld the theme of the week, which is “a promise with no boundaries.” The event put a human face and showcased the positive cultural side of the different parts of the world.
“U.S.A. is a very big country. Americans don’t usually get the chance or the time to focus on the outside world,” Alokozai said. “These events gives the Americans an opportunity gain an international perspective of the different cultures around the world.”
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