The Collegian

Issue date: 5/8/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Annie Douglass Japanese Professor Naoko Uehara and Akina Kawazu '07 celebrated the International Multicultural Fair at the Japanese table along with many other students and professors, who represented other cultures from around the world.

This past Wednesday Dryden Hall was transformed into a mecca of exotic foods, foreign nick-nacks, and unique music as the 26th Annual International Multicultural Fair came to Saint Mary's. Although early morning rain moved the event indoors from its usual place in the Ferrogario Quad, spirits weren't dampened as the small room was filled with enthusiastic, excitement, and the rhythm of an African band.

Moderator of the German Club, Professor Caralinda Lee, said, "[International Multicultural Fair] is one of the biggest and best events of the year. Every year it seems to get better."

Besides the typical barbecue that usually accompanies any variety of outdoor events during community time on Wednesdays, traditional Mexican food also shared main bill with the hamburgers and hot dogs, which were also moved indoors due to the damp conditions. The change in venue may have drawn more people than would have typically come as many students that were unaware of the fair happened upon the activity when they went to lunch at Oliver Hall.

Once inside Dryden, students could enjoy a wide variety of snacks and treats from countries all over the world. Some of the featured displays included Italy, Germany, France, Mongolia, Japan, Taiwan, Spain, Mexico, and Vietnam. Other broader organizations that were present included the Latino-American Cultural Club, Hua Lua, and Asian Pacific-American Student Association (APASA).

Each booth had at least one snack and informational pamphlets about each respective culture. Some of the students, who ran almost all the booths with some faculty supervision, even dressed in the traditional attire of their represented country. The upbeat, ethnic African music also provided a loose, relaxed energy for an otherwise cramped room. The event was capped off by a captivating martial arts demonstration.

"The atmosphere really catches on, really attracts the students," said Lee. "One of the things that has become emphasized over the past few years has been education about the actual culture, not just snacks. At the German table, we made little trivia cards about German-speaking nations that the students really responded to."

This event is one of the few community time events that both students and faculty can attend as equals. No matter what their status or title, everyone seemed to enjoy the ethnic pot luck and appeared to be genuinely interested in what each group had to present.

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