Michaela Gaffke/ Winonan
Winona State University celebrated its 28th annual International Dinner in Kryzsko Commons, representing the diversity in the community, on April 18. “Kaleidoscope of Cultures” was held in East Hall, where members from the Winona community gathered to celebrate international students.
Alicia Reed, assistant director of international services commented on the progress of the dinner.
“Every year the dinner gets better,” Reed said. “It is a unique opportunity for students to talk about and represent their culture.”
Winona State has 300 international students from 45 different countries who participated in the dinner and made the evening’s events possible.
The hall was adorned with flags representing different countries, with the center stage facing the dinner tables, which were decorated in purple and white.
John Otis, international club president, said he got involved as a freshman, and he enjoyed the new experiences, learning about other cultures.
Otis said the International Dinner will keep going, even though it is difficult to set up and is organized entirely by students.
The first event of the evening was a fashion show, when 20 different countries were represented. All of the participants were dressed in outfits from their country, holding true to the kaleidoscope of cultures theme.
After the fashion show, dinner was served. Along with experiencing the diversity in attire, guests were served food from various cultures.
Dinner consisted of Mediterranean salad, eggrolls, Brazilian Fejoada, South Asian Chapati, Pakistani Chicken Tandoori and Indian Biryani. According to Reed, the meal was cooked by the students who organized the event.
During the meal, the show took guests around the world, immersing the audience into different cultures’ dances and clothing. An experience in Japanese culture was first, followed by Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Additionally, there was a Kenyan dance, Brazilian song, Latin American dance, English song and a performance by the Winona State hip-hop dance group.
After the performances, a raffle was played. Three prizes were given out: a $20 bookstore gift card, and two $20 Wal-Mart gift cards.
Just as Reed said, the show represented the world as a giant kaleidoscope of colors, which was embodied in the two hour-long show. Many cultures came together and were recognized by the community, letting international students share where they are from.
At the end the students gathered on the stage and gave an enormous bow. The dinner was truly a giant kaleidoscope of cultures.
It’s a journey around the world,” Reed said.
