Students can receive language lessons and sample culinary dishes from 30 countries at the annual International Festival this weekend in the Student Center.
"The International Festival is a great opportunity because it gives students a chance to learn about the world without even leaving the Ball State campus," Debra Goens, the Immigration Specialist/Program Coordinator, said.
"This is an important event that everyone should be a part of," she said. "After all, where else can you go to learn about 20 or 30 other countries at one time?"
The two-day event, sponsored by the Center for International Programs, offers activities designed to educate students about the cultures around the world.
The festival will begin Sunday at noon and last until 4 p.m. Events will also be held on Monday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Visitors can go to booths to receive information about the countries.
"We hope that the booths will create an interest to know more," Carol Carmody, director of International Services, said. "Our goal is to have every student walk out of here with a burning desire to learn more about the world that they live in."
The Culture Show at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Student Center Ballroom will feature dancing, native songs, a Power Point presentation and more.
"There is more to the world than the United States, and this festival allows students to experience that," Goens said.
Carmody said the added publicity should yield bigger turnouts this year.
"We made an effort to distribute information to the broader community, particularly elementary schools and secondary schools," Carmody said. "This is a celebration of diversity both on the Ball State campus and in the Muncie Community."
The Center for International Programs sponsors other cultural events -- such as themed dinners, coffee houses and lectures -- throughout the year.
"We are trying to bridge the gap of naivete and allow students to learn more about the world around them," Carmody said.
Learning about the world is becoming even more important due to technology, Goens said.
"The world is getting smaller through technology so we are forced to interact more with people of other countries," Goens said. "This festival is a way to do that. There is good food, wonderful people to meet, and it is just a lot of fun. "<<28-¬--j"+âInternational Festival PreviewDNEditorial<<2JAx2AUDT
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