February 7, 2023
Representing five countries, 10 international students from Oakland University recently participated in the inaugural Multicultural Festival at the Waterford Montessori Academy in Waterford Township, Mich.
The event was held on Friday, Jan. 27 and, despite inclement weather, attracted about 150 people.
“These cultural events and exchanges are crucial, especially now as not everyone is able to travel outside of the United States,” said Petra Knoche, international adviser with the International Students and Scholars Office and the Office of Global Engagement at OU.
“Events like these promote diversity and different cultures in a positive, hands-on way,” Knoche said. “They also give our international students an opportunity to share their cultures, to wear their beautiful gowns and clothing, and to be proud of who they are and their culture.”
A collaboration between Oakland University’s International Students and Scholars Office, the Office of Global Engagement, and the Waterford Montessori Academy, the inaugural Multicultural Festival featured representatives from nearly 20 different countries and cultural backgrounds, including Germany, Italy, Mexico, Jordan, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, the Philippines, Canada, Nigeria, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan.
“It has been awhile since we’ve seen this many people celebrating the world together, and I am so happy that we are slowly getting back to seeing people at events like this and having our students participate,” Knoche said.
The event featured several different cultural performances, including:
• A Hindi musical performance by Jigyasa Soni from Oakland University;
• Taiwanese diabolo yo-yo performed by Julia Chen, Eric Chen, Olivia Liao and Joseph Hsiao from the Michigan Chinese School;
• Irish Step Dance by Shannon Dance Academy;
• A Bulgarian dance performance by Bulgarians in Detroit;
• A demonstration of a traditional Philippine folk dance (tinikling) by Jayvee Soliman;
• Arabian singing and Durbaka drumming by Nour Marwan.
“They were all phenomenal,” Knoche said.
The 10 international students from Oakland University who participated in the festival wore their traditional clothing, brought display items for their tables, and some brought samples of traditional food to share with the school and community.
“Diversity goes beyond the campus,” said Ahmed Alobaidan, event coordinator for the Saudi Students Association at OU. “This was a great opportunity to learn about other cultures and meet new people.”
Ajete Eggers, who attended the festival with Ian Allen, said the experience was “absolutely incredible.”
“We loved experiencing all of the exciting cultures as much as the kids did,” Eggers said. “Holding hands with a bunch of new people and trying to learn a new dance really made the strangers seem more familiar. Being able to share some exciting things from back home was so much fun and I really enjoyed how appreciative everyone was. It was, overall, a great experience and I will definitely be participating next year.”
Jurgen Mezinaj said he was happy to see his country represented at the festival.
“I am so happy that a lot of kids at the festival were interested to know about my country (Albania),” Mezinaj said. “I think I did a good job as a teacher. These young, smart minds now know that there is a small country called Albania next to Italy and Greece. At the end, I had time to visit all the tables from the different countries, and I learned a lot of history and tried the delicious foods like Czech cookies and Saudi Arabia baklava. I also enjoyed the talented dance performances from the students.”
Damilola Alao also enjoyed participating in the festival.
“The event was well organized and gave the opportunity to interact with people with rich food and cultures from countries across the world,” Alao said. “I had an awesome time.”
Jigyasa Soni, who also performed at the festival, said attending the event was “like taking a journey around the world, experiencing different traditions, cuisines, and cultures all in one place.”
“Having had the opportunity to represent my culture and attend the Multicultural Festival was a rich and exciting experience that exposed people to the diverse cultures and traditions of different communities,” Soni said. “The samples of different types of food, watching cultural performances, and learning about the customs, music, and art of various countries definitely broadened one’s horizons to celebrate diversity, and make new connections with people from different backgrounds.”
Afeez Abdulrasak agreed.
“By our language, color, beliefs, food, and upbringing, we are different but the strengths we have as humans lied in our dynamics, and through multicultural exploration, we bridge the gap of ignorance about our existence.”
For more information about OU’s International Students and Scholars Office, visit www.oakland.edu/isso.