The International Student Leadership Team and the International Student and Scholar Services Office presented International Vibe, a night of food, performances and dancing in the Tavern Friday.
Fanta Aw, director of International Student and Scholar Services, said the night was put on to introduce the new International Student Leadership Team, made up of both undergraduate and graduate students, and enrich the campus by presenting culture in a fun and educational way.
When the event began at 8 p.m., world music played, welcoming people to try international cuisine and view a slide show featuring well-known sites from around the world.
The food served included dishes from India, Vietnam, Lebanon, Mexico, Germany, Bulgaria, Laos, Senegal, Peru, Iran, Georgia and Cyprus. The catered food was provided by Old Europe Restaurant, Nirvana Indian Restaurant and Nam Viet Restaurant. Nine international students added to the spread by cooking dishes from their home countries.
The program also featured performances from different groups from both on and off campus. The Bhangra Club, an AU club that performs Indian dance, began the night.
Next, a volunteer from the Persia Cultural House performed "Elahe Amiri," followed by Chingiz Karaguzhinov, a sophomore in the School of International Service from Kazakhstan, who sang "Shynarym," which means "my darling."
The Hawaii Club danced to "I Kona." Balkan Beat performed two Bulgarian dances - "Bora" and a Bulgarian medley. Akhmet Ishmukhamedov, a sophomore, performed "Akku" on the national instrument of Kazakhstan, the dombra.
Carmen Apaza and Cesar Zapata of Peru performed "La Marinera Norte," after which two SIS freshmen, Susan Schneider of Germany and Courtney Rigas of the United States, performed "Ya Loura Hobouki," an Arabic folk song. The performances concluded with Duval Guimaraes, an SIS junior, and Samyra Salek of Brazil dancing to "Espumas Ao Vent" by Trio Forrozo.
The event continued late into the night as those in attendance took to the floor to dance to music from around the world.
Soto Orozco, a junior in SIS from Mexico, said events like International Vibe were important to raise awareness and learn from other cultures.
Nour Christdidi, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences from Beirut said the event fit in well with AU spirit because the school has lots of international students. She said the event made her feel like people were in interested in learning about culture. The event made her feel at home and made the campus seem more diverse, she said.
