Sponsored by the
International Student Association with support from the
International Student and Scholar Office.
Each year during the month
of April, the International Student Association coordinates a
campus wide International Festival which showcases many of the
diverse cultures present at Towson University.
The entire event typically lasts several hours and
includes cultural display tables followed by an international
show, in which students represent their home cultures through
fashion, song, dance, poetry and skit.
The show is usually comprised of two acts, and is
separated by a brief intermission which includes an
international buffet with food from several local ethnic
restaurants.
The cultural display
tables are designed and decorated by international students.
They provide others with an opportunity to see pictures,
artifacts, clothing, and detailed information from different
countries and culture groups.
In addition, the tables provide an opportunity for
guests to speak with international students and learn more
about Towson's many cultures first-hand. Student
representatives from Japan, Malaysia, China, Thailand, the
Caribbean, and Africa have consistently had tables during the
past few years. At
the tables, some groups choose to sell products and food as a
fundraiser for their organizations.
For example, the International Student Association
translates names from English into a variety of different
languages, and the Japanese Student Association usually sells
sushi and onegiri, and the Southeast Asian Student Association
(SASA) does henna hand painting.
The international show is
the highlight of the International Festival.
Student groups and individual performers practice for
several weeks, even months, prior to the night of the show.
As a result, the songs, dances, skits, fashion shows,
and poetry readings are top-notch.
It is no wonder that attendance at the International
Festival has grown significantly over the past decade, forcing
the ISA to move from the Chesapeake Rooms to Burdick
Gym. Next years festival will most likely be held in the
Towson Center.
Pictures from previous
International Festivals can be seen on the ISA’s web site at
http://www.towson.edu/isa
and by navigating through the links listed below.
Please stay tuned for announcements as to where the
festival will be held this year.
If you would like to participate, contact Scott Pierson
spierson@towson.edu
or the ISA at isa@towson.edu.
International Student and Scholar Office
Administration Building, Room 246
7720 York Road
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
8000 York Road | Towson, MD 21252 | 410-704-2000
