Victoria McKenzie/Winonan
We are all international people, according to Nadia Koranteng, a senior and co-president of the International Club at Winona State University.
Each year the international club organizes the International Dinner to give students and community members the opportunity to experience other cultures. This year the event will be from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, April 12.
The International Dinner includes a variety of food and entertainment from all over the globe. The club tries to serve dishes from every continent, so dinner is served buffet-style to encourage people to try a variety of dishes.
Throughout the evening, different forms of entertainment will take place showcasing the different cultures.
International students from Winona make the menu and prepare the dishes.
Non-international students may volunteer their time as well. The international club includes a variety of people from various backgrounds and hosts events which applaud the rich diversity at Winona State.
John Otis, the co-president of the international club, said “Winona has a very diverse student population,” and the dinner “is one of the special events that celebrates everyone.”
Otis became involved in the club during his first semester at Winona State. He became secretary before becoming co-president.
Koranteng also worked her way up from public relations officer to vice president until reaching the title of co-president with Otis. Like many members of the club, Kornateng joined to meet a variety of people and help other students and Winona State appreciate the cultural diversity here.
Planning for the event is extensive, according to Otis and Koranteng, who began planning this past September.
In the past, the International Dinner has hosted as many as five hundred guests, which makes accurate food and budget estimations a necessity. Otis and Koranteng delegate the work to different committees, but, as presidents, they have to oversee every committee throughout the process.
The planning has paid off in the past with high turnouts, as they hope it will again this year for the 27th Annual International Dinner. The club will be selling tickets in advance, $12 for students and $18 for the public. Tickets will also be available at the door with a $3 increase in costs, except for children under five, whose tickets remain at $8.
Koranteng said she encourages students, faculty and community members to come to the International Dinner and to remember as “international people” we all have culture to share and more cultures to experience.