International Celebration Week, which occurred Nov. 18-21, is an annual event meant to celebrate and honor international students and allow domestic and international students to bond, giving students an opportunity to learn about other cultures represented on California Baptist University’s campus.
Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services, said, “By coming to the events, domestic students have the opportunity to experience international culture, whether that’s through music, food, sports or games.
“Our international students have an opportunity to highlight their culture in the variety of ways throughout the week.”
CBU kicked off International Celebration Week with the International Education Fair on Nov. 18 and continued the festivities with karaoke that night. Other events included the Foreign Food Affair that offered food from around the world. The event also had fall-themed games and arts and crafts Nov. 19, followed by CBU Recreation’s volleyball game and the World Sports Tournament Nov. 20. The week of festivities concluded with the international carnival on Nov. 21.
Madison Baker, senior psychology major, said she has been going to the karaoke night event for years, and was excited about the other events that took place during the celebration.
“I am really excited about the lineup,” Baker said. “I’m excited about the games on Wednesday; it’s fun to get to play different games from around the world with people I know and people I don’t know. It’s a really fun week.”
Giulianna Scarinzi, freshman psychology major, said she appreciates CBU’s effort to include international students in all of the events on campus.
“It’s really nice of CBU to celebrate international (students),” Scarizni said. “It’s difficult being away from home so it’s good to feel that people care about you and your culture and having other experiences. It’s welcoming. It feels like home.”
