Music, food and free t-shirts drew students to the Memorial Union late Wednesday night Nov. 20, but they weren’t the only things that kept them there. The true allure was getting to know more about the amazing and unique cultures that exist around the world from some of our very own international students who set up booths showing off some of the most interesting facts about their home nations.

The Celebration of Cultures event helped break up the monotony of university life and the stresses of impending finals that students are having to face in the coming days. Food and drink from around the world was offered to anyone who was brave enough to give it a taste while musicians got on stage in the Union Underground to play songs from their home countries and several American classics.

“The food would definitely be my favorite part about tonight,” said Brian Salazar, junior Spanish major. “The experience in getting to see some different cultures is really amazing.”

Many of the foreign language clubs and study abroad groups had booths at the event as well, showing off their programs to interested students who might want to learn French or Spanish or travel to Japan next year.

A wide variety of booths were set up on the upper and lower floors of the Union for students to peruse. Booths featuring Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Mexico, France, Kenya and several other nations could all be seen at the Celebration. International students, teachers and others stood by at each station, ready to answer any questions that our own students had regarding their native lands. Some of the booth owners even dressed up in traditional clothes that attracted the eye and provided cool photo opportunities that many students took advantage of.

“I was asked to present by the International Club,” said Raul Merini, a student from Brazil. “I thought it would be a very cool idea to present about my country. It’s very different than what people are used to seeing. I really like the fact this event is so large and it has attracted such interest from other students.”

The opportunity to meet new people and learn about different cultures is something everyone can participate in and benefit from. There aren’t many such occasions on campus for students to do so.

The Celebration of Cultures will be back next year and could look very different depending on which international students decide to partake. Be sure to come out and get involved in this exciting event to expand your horizons.

Edited by Jason Morrison, Adam White