Listen Here
By Monica Crawford
crawfordm3@findlay.edu
On March 26, the University of Findlay hosted International Night to honor the peoples, traditions, and cultures that shape life at UF.
Alex Parker, assistant director for campus and community engagement, and Daisy Evangelyn Mamidi, a graduate student at the Buford Center, planned and organized the evening with the help of other UF students.
“It was several months of planning out this event,” said Parker. “It came down to pulling together a committee to work on various aspects of the event separately because many hands make light work, but Daisy really helped put everything together; she was the mastermind behind it all.”
“As a graduate assistant, it was my first ever gig for the university, so I was pretty nervous, but I was blessed with an incredible committee that has been so kind and supportive throughout the process,” said Mamidi. “They’ve been really patient, giving me tips on how things work and allowing me to collaborate on my ideas.”
Throughout this process, a variety of goals to provide the best cultural experience were taken into account.
“We want this event to build that sense of community—we all have our own differences, we all have our own places we come from,” said Parker. “This will be a way to experience the world in our own backyard.”
“I want this to be an opportunity for international students to showcase their culture and to tell the world how proud they are of where they are from,” said Mamidi. “For attendees, we want it to be a way to experience God’s creation through beautiful ways like cultural exhibits, food, and performances because the way God has designed everybody is unique and different.”
However, the main objective is for everyone to have a fun time.
“I would love to see students happy, those who are performing to make great memories, the community to have a great time, and people who are stressed and caught up with their work and scheduling to have a place of relaxation,” said Mamidi. “I just want everyone to feel love from different cultures throughout the world.”
The most popular form of cultural exchange at International Night was the food.
“Tonight I am presenting Russian crepes. They are made of basic ingredients and are very easy to make, but one thing that makes them special is that while they are typically paired with something sweet, in Russia, they are paired with something savory, like cottage cheese, sour cream, minced meat, eggs, and caviar,” said Polina Zaitzeva, student presenter at the Russia booth. “I have been having fun, enjoying talking to others, exchanging cultural knowledge, and trying dishes from other countries myself!”
“I went to every booth; the Korean I really enjoyed and had glass noodles, the Russian pancakes were good and had nice sides to dip them in, and the South African was nice because it is kind of my own home since my mom is South African,” said Kyna Decruy, a student attendee. “I really enjoyed the event and was surprised that so many people showed up. I think this type of event is important for inclusion and to understand and get to know other cultures.”
Along with food and booths from 15 different countries, there were performances of music, dance, poetry, and a solo drum demonstration.
