International Festival
By Latoya Campbell
Photos by Melissa Brown
The prediction of rain threatened the success of the 16th annual International Festival, hosted by the International Student Services at Forsyth Park yesterday. This proved not to be the case as, according to Robert Morrison Jr., fourth year Motion Media major, “the weather was perfect” and it gave him a chance to step away from his computer and be outside for a few hours. Though the sun dipped behind the clouds a few times, it was replaced by a cool breeze that wafted through the booths and into the general area.
The event, which has grown significantly over the years, invited guests to learn about different cultures and, best of all, sample foods from all over the world. There were 23 student booths representing various countries and regions as well as student clubs such as CARIBSA, the Chinese Student Association, SCAD Printmaking Club and the Intercultural Student Association.
A trivia game called “Who wants to be a Turkmen” gave willing participants visiting the Turkmenistan booth the chance to learn about the country and win unique prizes. Viewers often got a chance to help by acting as “lifelines” if they knew an answer. Other booths offered live demonstrations, sold unique hand crafted items and found unique ways of attracting patrons. Seven food booths included Persepolis, Ruan Thai, Sushi Zen, Carlito’s Mexican Bar & Grill, Asian River and Taste of India. An added bonus was the inclusion of two food trucks that served samples of recipes submitted by students.
The SCAD Drumline officially kicked off the entertainment segment for the day and was followed by the Reggae Infinity band. Their live music provided the perfect atmosphere for the event.
Bonnie Decker, International Student Advisor, credited the new Forsyth Park location for the possibility of bigger performances, as there was a larger stage to work with than at Broughton Street. A large crowd could gather around the band stand and enjoy the various performances, including an Argentine tango by Rick Cody and Marcia Mitchell of Salon de Baile Studio, flamenco, salsa, Chinese peach blossom, quadrilha dance of Brazil and a Sub-Saharan African dance.
While the global fashion showcase was the highlight of the day, it was the high energy performances from Mystick NRG that had the crowd on their feet dancing and singing along, right up until the closing of the event.
The Chinese dragon flies through the air in another excellent performance by the Chinese Student Association.
The International Festival featured cultural performances by local groups.
Many guests had the opportunity to try on garbs from all over the world.
A student showing off her culture’s traditional garments.
There were many student performances to be enjoyed that day. There was a salsa, a Chinese traditional dance and much more.
This year the International Festival participants sold only student artwork. However, that didn’t stop them from displaying handicrafts from their home countries.
