International Week: Celebration of Foreign Cultures and Diversity

By Lia Ma and Selina Xin

Left to right: Jina Lee and Sungwon Cho from Korea, Yvonne Chen, Lia Ma and Selina Xin from China, with Mohammed Zakyi from Ghana, welcome students to the International Food tables.

If you are a fussy eater, the dining hall was not the place for you Saturday night during International Week. That’s the night when students from different countries prepare and present dishes local to their culture and share them with the entire student body. Beginning at 8:30 p.m., the hallway in Pigott is infused with the smell of exotic dishes and filled with students who are excited to try the dishes out.

Mr. Richardson at the Italian table with Italian student Pietro Battaglia.

International Week was revived in Canterbury four years ago by Assistant Dean of Students, E.J. Soifersmith and the school’s Special Events Committee. “It’s important to celebrate the diversity of our student body, and to honor where the students are from and to educate our students about the culture of their classmates,” she said.

Along with the International Food Festival, another highlight of International Week are the videos made of international students talking about their countries that are shown at school meetings. It’s become a rite of passage for incoming international students.

Celebrating the different cultures and nationalities of our diverse student body is what International Week is all about, which is why students enjoy it so much. “We can’t assume we are all the same just because we are in the same place. It’s important to learn about where we are all from and then to respect all other cultures,” said Miss E.J.
Click on the photo below to go to the flickr album
Photos of International Week

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