[Abi Auer | Banner] Carlos Garcia (left), and Kaden Johnson, both senior mechanical engineering majors, sing “Boheminan Rhapsody” by Queen during the International Celebration Week Karaoke Night.
The International Center unified the diverse California Baptist University community as it hosted this year’s International Celebration Week Nov. 14-19.
Many of the International students celebrated cultural differences through events held around campus.
“For several years, we’ve had different events that have gone on throughout the week,” said Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services.
“We always try to host it so that we can celebrate our international students and also just tointroduce our campus to different cultures around the world.”
The week started off with Foreign Food Affair in Lancer Arms, in which students got a taste of different cultures by presenting exotic dishes from around the world, such as Thai yellow curry, Indian chicken tikka masala, Chinese spicy beans and Chinese potato strips.
Tuesday was Karaoke Night, held in the Global Village in The Colony Apartments. Loud music spilled from speakers as students and the staff sang songs of different genres. Tacos, salsa and candy were also provided.
“I love being a part of this week’s events because they provide unique ways of celebrating the variety of cultures present on CBU’s campus, and provide an opportunity for international and domestic students to engage with one another,” said Robyn Teruel, senior psychology major.
The following night, participants formed teams and competed against each other at the World Sports Tournament on the Front Lawn. Handball, bocce ball, cricket and badminton were played to represent
popular games outside of the U.S. with team “What’s a Qrickett?” winning the tournament.
The Kugel International Festival of Film and Art was held in the Community Life Lounge Nov. 17. Students and the staff were able to enjoy different cultures through distinct forms of art. There were slideshows and video presentations, as well as student performances. Some students from Africa performed a cultural dance, and students from China recited poetry.
The last two events was to give international students a taste of American culture through a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday and a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. The International Celebration Week gave students a chance to come together despite differences in culture.
“When you come to these events, you learn from other cultures,” said Christian Shema Mugisha, senior biochemistry and molecular biology double major from Rwanda. “You get to know how other people live across the globe, and you get to know what they do, what challenges they face.”
