Cultural connection
Clarence Richardson didn’t know what to expect Monday evening when he showed up for International Night.
The Milan junior wasn’t disappointed.
“It was all pretty interesting,” Richardson said. “My favorite part was the cultural differences (skit). That was so funny.”
Richardson was one of several hundred people who attended the annual event hosted by CMU’s International Club in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.
The night included songs, dancing, skits and a fashion show performed by CMU students from various multicultural backgrounds and ethnicities. A food taster followed the performances.
Nobody was more impressed with the turnout for International Night than the man who organized the event.
“I’m really amazed because we did very little advertising,” said Richmond Otoo, International Club president and Ghana junior.
People from CMU’s English Language Institute performed the cultural differences skit, and humorously observed differences between Asian and American manners at a dinner table.
Mount Pleasant resident Rachel Gamache, whose mother works for the Office of International Education, said she has attended International Night every year for the past five years.
“I think it’s better (this year),” Gamache said. “A lot more people showed up and the performances were great.”
The evening’s festivities came to an emotional end as people sang closing songs dedicated to those affected by the current civil conflict in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The effort to further educate CMU students on international cultures and beliefs continues all week as the Office of International Education at CMU celebrates International Education Week.
Chinese presentations will take place from 7:30 to 10 p.m. today in the Office of International Education Conference Room. The African Student Association also is hosting a panel at 7 p.m. today in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
