International Welcome Party gives students a taste of ethnic diversity

Stotler Lounge brims with international music, food and drink

By Emily Roman

Published Sept. 16, 2008

Students, faculty, staff and Truman the Tiger piled into Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union on Sunday night to welcome MU international students and to literally get a taste of ethnic diversity.

Each organization set up a booth where they played music, dressed in cultural attire and served food and drink native to their country.

The International Welcome Party is just the first of many events planned by the Missouri International Student Council and the Missouri Students Association International Programming Committee. Sept. 23 marks the first MU International Day, and organizers expect Chancellor Brady Deaton to declare the fourth Tuesday of September MU International Day, IPC Director Nan Anantravanich said.

She said the IPC and MISC had seen many international events throughout the year that were sponsored by different organizations. The IPC came up with the idea to have a whole day devoted to the international students to inform the national MU community about the diversity of students and events.

"We feel there are so many different international students coming from different countries," Anantravanich said. "We want all of MU to be internationalized."

Anantravanich said international students would feel proud they are being recognized. By helping national students become aware of other countries instead of just focusing on domestic issues, they are more aware that these international students want to study and learn about the American culture, she said.

At the welcome party, attendees waited to be served the array of international cuisine wafting under their noses. Among these foods were sushi provided by the Japanese Student Association and fried dumplings and fried rice noodles provided by the Taiwanese Student Association.

"I came for the food and culture," graduate student Annie Chih said. "But food makes the culture."

Chih said she decided to participate because of her interest in various ethnic foods and international events.

Graduate student Michael Betley said he thought the event was "tasty."

"It's cool to see the diversity of the student body and the culture and food which are one and the same," Betley said.

Sophomore Eman Abdelhadi served two specially prepared dishes as part of her role in the Arabian Student Organization. The first, kabsa, is a rice and chicken dish, and the second, bashamel, is macaroni and ground beef.

"It gives international students a good impression of Arabic food and Arabic culture," Abdelhadi said. "It gives them a chance to ask questions."

Former MISC president Ta Boonseng said the group has been welcoming international students with this event each semester for about five years, and he said it has become an MU tradition.

According to the MU International Center, the number of international students on the first day of classes is 1,521. Official figures are not yet available.

Boonseng said the international students do not just come for the education, but by participating in the organization that represents their individual country, they enrich the MU community.