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All roads lead to Southwestern College, at least during the Festival of Nations.
A yearly tradition hosted by the ASO, the gathering splashed the campus with global colors, international sounds and delicious smells. It featured campus clubs and live entertainment like flamenco and belly dancers.
Campus clubs like the Latter Day Saints Student Association, the Spanish/English Conversation Club and the American Medical Student Association created mini renderings of nations around the globe as a way to acknowledge the diversity at SWC and commemorate the beauty of a multi-cultural world.
Wearing bright red shirts, members of the Vocational Nurses Association proudly displayed their Russian exhibit.
“We thought we should go big or go home,” said Jaclyn San Miguel, 26, commenting on the sprawling county they picked.
Members of the club did not choose Russia for the size of its population, but for the size of its principles.
“We found a lot of good stuff when we were researching them,” said Vanessa Real, 23. “They offer free education and free health care.”
Each club dressed in the attire of their country, with elegantly draped geishas from Japan and Brazilians in grass skirts slathered with yellow body paint. Rohanie Lucero from Pagkakaisa won the costume contest, representing the Philippines and its colorful traditional garb.
Clubs provided food samples from their representative countries. Pagkakaisa gave out little glasses filled with the traditional Filipino drink, Sagot Gulaman. Gay-Straight Alliance had almond baklava laid out on a blue and white tablecloth imitating the colors of the Greek flag. Next to them the Disabled Student Services held out steaming cups of Italian pasta to passersby.
For one brief, shining moment SWC students had the world at their fingertips.
