Student and Cultural Engagement sponsored World Fest on Hayden Lawn at the Tempe campus Tuesday, featuring international organizations across campus and the diverse foods, crafts and artifacts of their countries. (Photo by Diana Lustig)Hayden Lawn became a temporary site for a multitude of cultures as students showcased their home countries at World Fest Tuesday afternoon.
Student and Cultural Engagement Campus Activities Coordinator Mike Vreeland said he wanted to provide international students with a chance to share knowledge from their homelands while also learning new things.
“This is an opportunity to showcase the different cultures represented at ASU,” Vreeland said. “It is a chance for involvement as well as a fundraiser for these clubs.”
Different students performed a Navajo song and a traditional Indonesian dance while ASU Raqs Sharqi Club showcased a belly dance.
Education graduate student Dinny Aletheiani is an advisor for the Indonesian Student Association and said the Ngremo dance promotes the independent movement in East Java, an Indonesian province.
“I have danced since I was a kid,” Aletheiani said. “We chose Ngremo, which is traditionally a male dance, to introduce the Indonesian culture on campus.”
Finance junior Saumya Banker is the president of the Unified Society of South Asians, which came to the World Fest looking for new members and to promote awareness of cultures from India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
“We want people to be aware of what we are and what we do,” Banker said.
Justice studies and anthropology senior Helen Yacoub, the senior president of the ASU chapter of the United States Iraqi Youth Organization, said she wants people to know more about the diversity of Iraq.
“We have Iraqis and non-Iraqis in our organization (and) we learn from their differences in culture,” Yacoub said. “We organize charity events for Iraqi refugees and hold language and cultural nights regularly.”
Business senior Bimala Pudasaini is the treasurer of the Nepalese Student Association at ASU. He said they meet once a month and plan cultural celebrations of Nepal.
“Our goal is to bring people from other cultures to learn about Nepal,” Pudasaini said. “People have misconceptions about Nepal. They don’t even know Buddha was born here.”
Traditional cuisine was sold to raise money for the student organizations.
Accounting senior Jamie Tang said she wanted to support the organizations and try the different types of food.
“It is very nice to look around,” Tang said. “It’s fun to watch the showcases and the food is good.”
Reach the reporter at dpbaltaz@asu.edu
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