Bella Hilleary co-wrote the story
Sophomore, Khendria Williams, brought holiday spirit to the 43rd International Festival at WCU with Jamaican tradition as she shared spice buns, traditionally eaten at Easter, and sorrel, a Christmas drink made from the hibiscus flower having a sweet gingery taste.
The Office of Global Engagement and DegreePlus hosted the Festival from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23 in the University Center and the 3rd floor was filled with music, laugh and wonderful smells of food from all over the world. According to the website of the Global office there were 16 countries represented, from Australia, to Ghana, to Pakistan and Jordan, to Spain and Scotland, Brazil and China. Many student clubs, organizations and services also had tables providing information, snacks and fun activities.
Check out the video story from the event
Vee Domingues, a junior nursing student, first came to WCU as an exchange student from Brazil.
“I loved it so much I decided to stay and become an international student,” she said.
Domingues thinks WCU does a great job incorporating diverse cultures and was glad to represent Brazil at her booth at the festival. Domingues and her friends served up a variety of treats including brigadeiro, a chocolate and coconut dessert, and doce de leite plain, a caramel spread made of condensed milk. Fútbol being popular in Brazil, the girls gifted booth-visitors soccer ball keychains as souvenirs.
Rufaro Rutizirira, a sophomore from Zimbabwe, represented her country by serving magwinya, a fried dough ball, and mawuyu, which is baobab fruit , while she talked about the culture in Zimbabwe and made beaded bracelets. Rutizirira came to WCU for acting because there wasn’t a program in Zimbabwe and fell in love with WCU’s program. She also loves the community and the way the cultures are expressed around campus.
“The International Festival is just the place to be,” she said. “It’s everyone getting an education from everywhere, all in one place. You’re happy being here.”
The festival started with the traditional flag parade. This year there were 38 flags carried by students, faculty, staff and administrators. Leading them was the Chancellor, Kelli Brown who opened the festival. WCU Student Government Association helped with funding for the festival.
The director of the Office of Global Engagement, Wes Milner said that there are 173 foreign students studying at WCU this year. As he explained WCU is still trying to recover from COVID’s impact but we typically have between 150-200 international students and send between 200-250 students abroad each year (many of those initially on faculty-led programs).
“We would love to continue to shift the culture at WCU to encourage and support many more students on the inbound and outbound ledger,” Milner said in an email. “For many of our first gen and Pell-eligible students, the idea of studying or interning abroad is truly a ‘foreign’ concept for them and their families.”
For more information on how to study abroad or come and study at WCU visit the Office of Global Engagement.
