Food, dances and fashions with a multicultural flair were the highlights as celebrated the 32md annual International Day festival. The international celebration was created so that the different cultures of NEIU could come together and display their native traditions.
The October 15 event, held in Alumni Hall was sponsored by the Foreign Languages Department and hosted by Flora Llacuna, the coordinator for the National Student Exchange at NEIU. Dean of Students Michael Kelly gave an opening statement before the festivities kicked off.
Among other events, the schedule included an international fashion show where the native clothes from different countries were showcased and judged. The Korean ‘hanbok’ won first prize.
Various NEIU ethnic organizations had tables where samosas, crème brulee, Korean chicken wings, latkes, and good, old-fashioned comfort food like spaghetti and pie were available for students to enjoy.
International Day featured live performances from many clubs. The Indian Student Association had a Bollywood/Bhangra dance. A mix of Spanish dances from resident NEIU dance troupe Ensemble Espanol were performed. Even a showing of Korean-American hip-hop from the Korean American Student Association was showcased.
To tie it all together for the NEIU community, the different ethnic clubs had information about their respective cultures for students, faculty and staff who were interested in learning more about other countries and furtherinng the breadth of their own international knowledge.