It was as though the entire world was assembled in a single room with everyone decked out in traditional dress. Rather than a fashion show or concert with famous artists and models, it was a gathering of Madison College international students. The event that brought this disparate group of students together was the college’s annual Global Showcase, an event organized in collaboration with the Center for International Education (CIE), United for Common Ground (UCG) and World Students Association (WSA) to showcase the global reach and rich cultural diversity represented in the student body at Madison College.
“It was a great platform to tell people about my culture,” said Makiko Omori, who hails from Japan. Omori was one of the key WSA organizers. She communicated with different student clubs to ensure their participation and invite them to tell people about their culture. “It was a successful event. Most regions had representation,” she said.
Students from Asia, Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, the Middle East and South America all represented their individual countries at the event. The two-hour show was scheduled around lunchtime in order to get the maximum number of people involved. According to Stephanie Belmas, CIE International Student Specialist and one the event organizers, the purpose of the Global Showcase is to highlight the diversity of Madison College. “There were students from all regions excluding Antarctica,” she said.
This year’s annual Global Showcase was the fourth held at Madison College and the event attracted the largest number of attendees to date. “Each year, participation and attendance have increased,” Belmas said. “It reflects the increased interest of the students, which is just wonderful.” According to the Office of Student Life, there were 325 attendees at this year’s Global Showcase, up from just over 100 the first year the event was held. Earlier Global Showcases were held in a smaller room. Responding to these figures, Belmas said, “Maybe we need more space next year given the growing participation of students.”
Dressed in a colorful Japanese kimono, Makiko Omori was very excited to be representing her culture for the first time at Madison College. “I not only participated in the Global Showcase but also worked hard to communicate with other international and local students. It was great to see people from around the world together in one room,” she said. Underscoring the significance of the event, she added that it was also a learning experience for her, giving her the opportunity to discover new things about places she had never been. “These events help students, faculty and staff feel a connection with people from different countries and learn about other cultures, norms and traditions,” she added. “It increases people’s interest in visiting other countries.”
Omori expressed some disappointment that local students did not participate more. “There are many states in America and each state is different from others in terms of culture. International students like me are curious to know about them. I tried to reach out to the local students and could not understand why they didn’t take part,” she said. “Isn’t it a good thing to learn about a country you’ve never visited?”
She was optimistic, however, that there would be more participation next year and that the event would continue to improve. “There is a dire need to encourage such events so that people can more easily know and learn to appreciate one another’s culture,” she said.
Pakistani student Abdul Basit Abro viewed the Global Showcase as an opportunity to get together with local and international people and deepen people’s understanding about different cultures. He felt upbeat and confident during the event and performed a traditional Sindhi dance to Pakistani music for the audience. “Many people asked me about my dress,” he said, smiling broadly. For the event, he wore long white trousers with a long white shirt, a hand embroidered hat from his native Sindh and a colorful scarf with a red and black motif.
WSA President Virginia Gittens Escudero was very excited to be representing Latino culture. “We all are human beings but our cultures and norms distinguish us from each other,” she said, when asked if she had any thoughts about the Global Showcase. This was Escudero’s third Global Showcase event and each year she felt she was learning something new about the other countries represented. “Now I have some idea about countries like Australia, Japan, China and Pakistan. I will not be surprised anymore when I see dresses, food and other things representative of these countries.”
She marveled at the fact that, in addition to the fashion show, dance performances, drama and other activities featured in the Showcase, students also made traditional foods. “I think it is something that our college should be proud of. It shows just how diverse the college is.”
CIE’s Belmas, who was awarded a UW Madison Campus Impact Award in 2006 for her work with international students, has found it quite challenging to organize such cultural activities, given the shortage of funds. “UCG funded this program,” she said. “It would be really good to be able to increase funding for the event in the future.”
According to Student Life Coordinator and UCG Advisor Susana Valtierra, plans for next year include a film and distinguished lecture series to occur in conjunction with the Global Showcase event as a means of shedding more light on the various cultures represented at Madison College. “UCG is currently in the middle of its budget process,” she said. “We are asking for additional funding to improve this event next year.”
Valtierra considers the Showcase to be much more than just a cultural event. She also finds it of value because of the learning experiences it offers its student organizers. Not only do they learn about the different countries and cultures represented, but they also have an opportunity to organize the event itself and to coordinate with other students and student groups.