International Night Gala held in MUC Ballroom
The Center for Diversity and Community (CDC) and the USD International Club held the annual International Night Gala. The event ran from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 in the Muenster University Center Ballroom.
The event included a “Parade of Nations” where students walked through the ballroom and represented their countries. The parade featured India, Turkey, Jordan, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Mexico, Bangladesh, Mali, Montenegro, Pakistan, Ghana, Palestine, Tunisia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Two groups of students celebrated by dancing.
The first group included USD students Shania Rehmudin and Leul Abate, who did an African dance. The second performance featured Nandita Mazumder Basak and Afia Farjana, also students at USD, who did an Indian dance.
USD student Bernard Osemwenkhae, the representative in the Parade of Nations for Canada, said the gala was a way to create an environment where USD can showcase different cultures and countries during International Education Week.
“Because we have some exchange students from other countries, the entire idea of celebrating the entire concept of schooling abroad and leaving your comfort zone, and also being able to share your culture wherever you are, is important,” Osemwenkhae said. “That’s kind of what gave the idea to form that event… ending the last day of International Education Week with just one big party to perform.”
After the Parade of Nations, jazz music played. Muntasir Mamun is the president of USD’s International Club. Mamun said jazz is an important art form in American culture.
“Jazz is sort of the quintessential American tradition or art form. Jazz is a relatively new art form. It’s traced back to New Orleans in the early 1900s, right about the turn of the into the 19th century.” Mamun said. “At that time, New Orleans was a melting pot, for lack of a better word. So, you had the cultures of the African nations, you had Anglo cultures, Caribbean cultures, Mexican and Latin cultures.”
After the Parade of Nations, music performances and dances, the club served a dinner featuring different international dishes. The event ended with the USD Native American Drum Group.
