Fair Unites Local Diversities; Celebrates 50 Years
Food, music and entertainment of all colors filled the Lory
Student Center Saturday afternoon and evening with the 50th World
Unity Fair.
The fair, sponsored by the Office of International Programs,
included university offices, student organizations and individuals
representing nearly 20 world communities set up booths filled with
activities, food and information in the student center ballrooms.
Live performances ranging from tae-kwon-do to Mexican trick roping
to cultural and modern dance were seen in the student center
Theatre.
“It’s celebrating international exchange, friendship, world
citizenship, because (we are becoming) more and more of an
interdependent world,” said Shawna Magtutu, program coordinator for
the Office of International Programs. “It’s a great opportunity for
people to come together and learn and to share about cultures of
the world.”
The fair was tailored to all ages. Children attending the fair
received “passports” upon arrival, which they could get stamped at
the booths they visited. Phoebe Marcus-Porter, 6, could be found
participating at the World Unity Fair.
“Dressing up (and) getting face painted,” Marcus-Porter said,
when asked what was her favorite thing she did at the fair.
Her friend, Brendan Iwashko, age 4, also attended the event. He
said his highlight of the afternoon was
“meeting Phoebe (and) getting all the stamps” in his
passport.
Each booth featured its own unique activities and information
for visitors.
Cultural Resources to Educate and to Empower, or CREATE, a
program of Apartment Life, was one of the many booths. Kids could
play “World Twister,” the popular contortionist floor game, using a
world map. Colors were replaced by country names or
characteristics. Lisa Ingarfield, a CREATE coordinator, spent weeks
helping the planning process.
“We did this last year and it was really successful,” Ingarfield
said. “The first two people, they were right down on Brazil. And
then she was like ‘put your left leg on the Statue of Liberty’ and
so they had to kind of come under themselves.” The booth also
featured bulletin boards of animal sounds from around the world and
information on CREATE.
Thailand’s booth displayed an intricate fruit and vegetable
sculpture and many traditional instruments, including a
xylophone-like ranad, a long drum and a stringed instrument called
a sor.
Later on, food was offered at many of the booths and tickets
were sold that could be exchanged for the international entrees.
Nathan Folbrecht and Cal Englert, both students of Windsor Middle
School, successfully completed their goal of trying food from every
booth, which cost them $10 total.
Englert and Folbrecht said they thought the best was either the
Chinese spring rolls or Indonesian java chicken and of the
beverages they tried, the milk pudding was the best.
The fair was also a weekend evening activity for CSU
students.
“A friend told us about it, and we all met here,” said David
Duran, a sophomore business major. Duran feasted on a chicken leg,
egg roll and “some sweet stuff from Turkey.” He was at the event
for two hours.
Traditional items were donated and sold by the International
Center Bizarre. All proceeds benefited the International
Center.
The World Unity Fair was a highlight of the International Fest,
organized by the Office of International Programs. The fest began
in 1951 not as a fest but a one-day event. Skipping two years in
1973 and 1974, this year’s event was the 50th and lasts from Nov. 3
to the Nov. 21, the fair being only one event among many this
month.
Richard Shen, a graduate of the class of 1951 and three-time
president of the Cosmopolitan Club, now lives in Lihue, Hawaii. The
International Fest and World Unity Fair was his brainchild. He was
unable to attend the event for health concerns but expressed his
excitement for the anniversary.
“I’m elated. I am elated. I feel very happy this event is
continuing,” he said.
For him, the fact that the fest has endured for so long is a
sign of hope.
“I believe we must remain hopeful for world peace. I think that
(the anniversary shows) young people are always optimistic, and
that is always a good sign,” he said.
Honored at the fair along with Shen was Hamzi Moghrabi, who
traveled to Fort Collins from Beirut, Lebanon, to attend the fair.
Moghrabi was a graduate of the class of 1962 and another innovator
of the fest.
“This event was my first encounter with international affairs as
a student,” Moghrabi said. “It brought to me nationalities that I
never met.”
Moghrabi also stressed that events such as these lay the
groundwork for world peace.
“We have to look at people as people, rather than look at people
as a religion or as an ethnic group.”
Info Box:
For more International Fair events, check Campus Calendar on
page 2.
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