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.