TU celebrates global diversity
International Banquet sells out, features food, music
Emily Butler
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Trinity Life
The performances evenly presented the diversity of cultures present at the event and allowed students who didn't have the advantage of Spotlight to showcase their talent to Trinity.
"It is about showing who they are and where they come from," Pinzon said.
Pinzon is proud to see upperclass students participating and getting lowerclass students involved in the club and banquet, and he encourages first years and sophomores to join the International Club.
First Year Jaskirat Batra helped with public relations for this year's event and also performed in the final dance to the song from "Slumdog Millionaire." Batra was surprised at the turnout of this year's event, saying that ticket sales were slow until the last two days when they all sold out. A lot of departments and professors also bought tickets, he said.
"It is basically a celebration of diversity at Trinity," Batra said, "and it is one of the biggest, biggest events by our club!"
The main focus for next year, said Batra, will be to dispell the idea that the International Club is just for international students. International Club has put on numerous events such as Salsa Night in collaboration with Latino Exchange and Venga, Dinner-Night-Outs, and participated in the Chocolate Festival, chili cook-out and karaoke nights.
Sophomore So Yeon Chang, from South Korea, danced at the event to a popular Korean song along with other Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese girls. They practiced twice every week for a month, she said, and was nervous beforehand since it was her first time performing on stage. The event, believes Chang, is one of the most important events for students that are not from the states.
"I think this is really important because the International Banquet itself is showing different cultures and having different performances that represent each culture," Chang said.
President Brazil attended the event and said that the banquet has grown tremendously its first years on campus. Eight to nine years ago, said Brazil, there were only a handful of international students, but now they compose 10% of the student body. The first dinner Brazil attended with the international students only had ten students, and this year there were close to 100 students, faculty and staff present.
"This is a marvelous, symbolic statement about the meaning of the international students to Trinity and Trinity to the international community," Brazil said.
Pinzon and Vinueza are both looking forward to the coming years of both the International Club and the International Banquet.
"From this year's experience, this may be an event that just keeps getting bigger and bigger," Vinueza said.
"It is about showing who they are and where they come from," Pinzon said.
Pinzon is proud to see upperclass students participating and getting lowerclass students involved in the club and banquet, and he encourages first years and sophomores to join the International Club.
First Year Jaskirat Batra helped with public relations for this year's event and also performed in the final dance to the song from "Slumdog Millionaire." Batra was surprised at the turnout of this year's event, saying that ticket sales were slow until the last two days when they all sold out. A lot of departments and professors also bought tickets, he said.
"It is basically a celebration of diversity at Trinity," Batra said, "and it is one of the biggest, biggest events by our club!"
The main focus for next year, said Batra, will be to dispell the idea that the International Club is just for international students. International Club has put on numerous events such as Salsa Night in collaboration with Latino Exchange and Venga, Dinner-Night-Outs, and participated in the Chocolate Festival, chili cook-out and karaoke nights.
Sophomore So Yeon Chang, from South Korea, danced at the event to a popular Korean song along with other Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese girls. They practiced twice every week for a month, she said, and was nervous beforehand since it was her first time performing on stage. The event, believes Chang, is one of the most important events for students that are not from the states.
"I think this is really important because the International Banquet itself is showing different cultures and having different performances that represent each culture," Chang said.
President Brazil attended the event and said that the banquet has grown tremendously its first years on campus. Eight to nine years ago, said Brazil, there were only a handful of international students, but now they compose 10% of the student body. The first dinner Brazil attended with the international students only had ten students, and this year there were close to 100 students, faculty and staff present.
"This is a marvelous, symbolic statement about the meaning of the international students to Trinity and Trinity to the international community," Brazil said.
Pinzon and Vinueza are both looking forward to the coming years of both the International Club and the International Banquet.
"From this year's experience, this may be an event that just keeps getting bigger and bigger," Vinueza said.
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