Student cultural organizations and University offices gathered for NC State’s sixth annual International Festival Friday, March 24 at Stafford Commons. Hosted by several student service centers, the event sought to connect international students to important resources and expose students to other cultures.
Malak Hassanein, a first-year studying business, is a program assistant in the Office of International Services and an organizer of the event. Hassanein said the festival is a joint effort between the Office of International Services, Student Leadership Services, the Office of Global Engagement and Multicultural Student Affairs and aims to celebrate NC State’s global diversity.
“We have a lot of diversity and a lot of different students from all around the world,” Hassanein said. “We thought this would be a great way to showcase some of the international cultures and so students can meet other people as well.”
Becky Cibulskis, a programs specialist in the Global Training Initiative, said international students are invaluable to NC State’s community.
“Our international students bring a lot of new perspectives and diversity and help to grow the Wolfpack family globally,” Cibulskis said. “Students who come here for a short amount of time, they gain a lot of affiliation to NC State, and then they bring back things that they learned from our institution back to their home country.”
Cibulskis said the International Festival gave the initiative a chance to connect international students with opportunities to get involved on campus and learn more about American culture through the Developing Cultural Competence student certificate program.
“NC State students here will take them to campus events, take them out to dinner, just kind of help get them integrated to campus life, so they get a real taste of what it means to be here,” Cibulskis said.
Mya McDowell, a fourth-year in biological sciences, represented the student centers on campus. McDowell said the diverse variety of centers on campus can greatly benefit international students.
“Being present at an international festival, where there are all types of people, it’s really important for us to be here to show that [international students] do have communities on campus built for [them], to support [them] in any way that you can,” McDowell said. “A lot of times it can be very isolating to be at a [primarily white institution] with limited people who look like you, so making sure that we can tell people that centers are on campus for you is really important.”
Sahel Mohammadkhah, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student and member of the Iranian Student Association, hosted a booth, wearing a traditional dress and showing pictures of landscapes and cultural landmarks of Iran. Mohammadkhah said the festival gives the association a chance to portray their country beyond the way it is usually presented in the U.S.
“We try to introduce the students to how beautiful our country is based on the nature that we have,” Mohammadkhah said. “We have historical landmarks in our country, which is a really big deal for us based on our really old history. We try to show people that Iran has other aspects, not just war and sadness.”
Susmita Gaire, a crop science Ph.D. student and member of the Nepali Student Association, said her home country is much more diverse than what most people expect, and the International Festival gave her organization an avenue to spread awareness about both the cultural diversity and unity in Nepal.
“We have diverse communities in Nepal, and depending on the community, they have a diverse language and different cultural choices,” Gaire said. “We have around 120 languages in Nepal.”
The festival hosted an array of artists, musicians and dancers, representing a multitude of global cultures.
Roné Roux, an international graduate student from South Africa studying arts studies, said the promotion of international art at the Gregg Museum and through performances for NC State Live make international students feel valued on campus.
“Especially for NC State that has a very big international student base, [promoting international art] is not only inclusive, but it also promotes awareness,” Roux said. “It’s really cool, the amount of events and stuff that are catered toward international students, especially in the arts. It makes international students especially feel very appreciated.”
Daniela Deleon, a second-year studying computer science, is a dancer in Sube Ritmo, an NC State-based Latin dance team that performed at the festival. Deleon said events like the International Festival give Sube Ritmo a chance to connect with the broader NC State community.
“When I first joined, it was still something really small and no one really knew about us,” Deleon said. “But with these types of opportunities that give us a chance to show what we do, the type of stuff that we learn and teach — it’s really a chance to portray our culture.”
The festival also promoted opportunities for NC State students to travel across the world.
Delaney Kearns, a second-year studying communication and a representative for the Study Abroad program, said her experience as a study abroad student in the Czech Republic changed her outlook on the world.
“I feel like you become just an independent person and it’s such a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to study as well as to live in a different country,” Kearns said. “You know more, you become more inclusive, you learn things — I think it’s very important to have that bridge between NC State and other countries.”
