UMaine International Students to Showcase Homeland Traditions at Culturefest ’07
Contact: Sarah Joughin, 581-3423; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Traditional ethnic singing, dancing, clothing and an international smorgasbord of foods — milk rice and spicy curry from India, sticky rice and spring rolls from Vietnam, and casseroles from the Middle East — are all on the menu for this year’s Culturefest at the University of Maine, Saturday, Oct. 27.
Held annually in the UMaine Field House from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Culturefest attracts more than 1,000 visitors from across campus and from communities surrounding the university. It is sponsored by the UMaine Office of International Programs and National Student Exchange as a showcase of talent, style and cuisine from cultures of the world.
Culturefest is free, although students request a nominal contribution for the food they buy and prepare for the food court.
Adults and children are invited to learn first-hand about the cultural themes and customs of the homelands of students from more than 70 countries. Members of the UMaine International Student Association will bring a variety of dishes to the international food court, while others perform a talent show, a fashion show, and staff information tables with maps, flags, cultural artifacts and offer children’s activities throughout the day.
The festival pulls together hundreds of international students anxious to discuss ethnic cultures and lifestyles from around the world. It is a day when students from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas leave the blue jeans and sweats at home and turn out in traditional clothing and costumes representative of their homelands.
“This is the biggest international event on campus,” says co-organizer Sarah Joughin of the Office of International Programs and National Student Exchange. “As we become a more global society, the public is realizing more and more the need to learn about cultural differences,” she says. “This is a unique and rare opportunity to travel around the world in a single day.”
Students say Culturefest also is a chance for the public to see beyond the television news coverage of politics, violence and disaster from other parts of the world.
Karen Boucias, director Office of International Programs and National Student Exchange, adds that the university is fortunate to have such a large international representation.
“Our 450 students and visiting scholars bring much to the classroom, and Culturefest helps to bring global awareness and understanding to the community,” she says.
For more information about the 20th annual Culturefest, contact the UMaine Office of International Programs at (207) 581-2905 or visit www.umaine.edu/international.