Wearing a sparkling red, green and gold traditional dress, freshman Nigorabonu Miliyeva talked to students about her home country of Uzbekistan on Thursday night at the L. A. Pittenger Student Center.
She was in the ballroom to celebrate Navruz, or the Persian New Year, a holiday that represents spring and embarking on a new beginning, and is celebrated in countries in the Middle East and Central Asia around the spring equinox.
"We would like to introduce people and make them more familiar with our culture and traditions," said Miliyeva, a cello performance major who said she is one of only two Uzbekistani students at Ball State. "Sometimes people don't know where Uzbekistan is."
Miliyeva showed student examples of the traditional clothing that is worn in her country, and explained that the 12 stars on the flag of Uzbekistan represent the country's 12 cities. At tables set up elsewhere in the room, students from Iran and Tajikistan showed items from and talked with visitors about their countries.
At the front of the room was a stage. YouTube videos played and about 20 attendees danced to Middle Eastern and Central Asian music. Those who weren't familiar with the dancing styles were taught by those who knew.
"I think it's more comfortable than dancing is now-a-days," junior Rebecca Ludwig said. "You get your own space, so there's more respect, and it's fun because you get to move your whole body and use your arms to dance."
Graduate Mercy Karanja said she and Ludwig came to the free event because she knew one of the organizers. Karanja said she learned a lot of things, particularly the meaning of the stars on the Uzbekistani flag.
"I love all the information and the people are really welcoming," she said. "The people are amazing - genuinely amazing."
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