The IUS International Festival showcased a variety of culture and cuisine on March 1 in the Hoosier Room.
This was the 16th year for the festival hosted by the International Program. The festival represented four different global regions and featured 14 ethnic dishes native to the regions.
Jodie Beatty, admissions counselor and coordinator of International Student Recruitment, has helped organize the event for the past eight years and said it’s important to raise cultural awareness.
“We want to give students the opportunity to learn about other cultures and encourage them to try new things,” Beatty said.
Beatty said the International Programs Committee switches it up each year by incorporating new foods and entertainment, choosing different regions to represent and responding to student feedback from the previous years.
“We had a request from a student last year to stop using Styrofoam serving ware for the food, mentioning it was not very green, so we changed it to a more environmentally-friendly serving ware this year,” Beatty said.
She said the committee’s primary focus is for students and the community to be exposed to different cultures and be educated in fair trade and globalization.
This year, 16 organizations – such as the Greater Louisville Japan Center and the Islamic Research Foundation International — distributed information about their organizations to about 200 participants.
Lucinda Woodward, director of International Programs, booked the entertainment this year.
“The entertainment gives a taste of international culture just about as much as the food does,” Woodward said.
She said IUS students were involved in the entertainment this year, which included studying “Philosophy and Science” of Yoga featuring Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga. The presentations were combined to form the “Oddissi” dance – a dance from east India.
Taletha, a solo performer and instructor of belly dancing, showed off her Egyptian-style belly dancing, while incorporating an
American-Caberat-style belly dancing and Gothic-style belly dancing.
The Kyene Drum Ensemble performed after Taletha, showcasing their West African and African Diaspora drum style, and the Guilderoy Byrne ended the night with Celtic tunes, using an eclectic mix of acoustic instruments.
“Many students don’t have a chance to travel,” Woodward said. “The goal is to bring the world to IUS for one night.”
Woodward said the festival made about $845 from ticket sales. Tickets were $5 for students and seniors and $7 for non-students. The cost included food samplings.
Proceeds went toward International Program scholarships for students pursuing Study Abroad Programs.
“It was a great way to get a meal for $5 and get a taste of the world,” Woodward said.
Dylan Starkey, chef of Dining and Catering Services, said he has catered the festival for the past two years and enjoys the opportunity to be culinary diverse.
“Last year, I was a little nervous because it was my first year catering for the event,” Starkey said, “but, this year, I was able to change food items from last year and try new things.”
Starkey said he gets to choose what to make for the festival and has fun tweaking the recipes for the tasting they have prior to the event and before finalizing the menu for the night.
“We make almost every single food item in the kitchen,” Starkey said, “and we made 300 portions for each item.”
Marty Rosen, director of Library services, emceed the festival, replacing last year’s emcee, Bernie Carducci, professor of psychology, while he is on sabbatical.
Rosen said the festival is part of a programmatic diversity goal.
“These events foster an atmosphere for students to interact with cultures other than their own,” Rosen said. “This contributes to that goal.”
Rosen also said most students’ exposure to cultures is still developing.
“This gives the opportunity for people from other cultures to explain their culture and heritage to them,” Rosen said. “It’s just a fun event.”
By LEAH TATE
Features Editor
lmtate@umail.iu.edu
