Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Roberto Rodriguez Participants in the parade which officially begins International Week at NT, wore the typical attire and carried the flags of their native countries. Activites duing International Week include a wolrds culture fair and market, an internatinal food fair, foreign film screenings, and will close off with a picnic on April 19.

Media Credit: Chase Martinez Crowley senior Tracy Crouch paints a temporary tattoo on Irving sophomore Leslie Palmer's leg during the World Cultures Fair & Market at the Pavilion Concourse Monday afternoon.

Media Credit: Chase Martinez Argyle middle school students Elliot Thorpe and Regan Page gaze at a dagger during the World Cultures Fair & Market at the Pavilion Concourse Monday afternoon.

International Week kicked off with NT's World Cultures Fair and Market offering items from all over the world.

The market, held at the Pavilion Concourse Monday, had scores of students, faculty and staff filtering through the items and chatting with the 13 vendors peddling goods from India, China, Turkey, Taiwan, Africa and Mexico, among others.

Items included handmade jewelry and other Mexican crafts, Indian fabrics and clothing, Turkish traditional art and African masks and figures.

"We have vendors here who are able to sell goods and products from their representative countries," said Kelly Phillips, a King George, Va., senior with the Study Abroad Center.

The goal, she said, was to raise awareness of international cultures.

The center was there to "advocate study abroad and get people excited about going to these various countries and immersing themselves in a culture so they can get the experience first-hand," she said.

Paul O'Neal, an employee representing Voyager's Dream at the fair, said it started off as a music store and expanded into a travelers' and adventurers' store full of international trinkets in the last 15 years.

"We sell items from all around the world," O'Neal said. "Today we're selling incense, purses, shoes, tapestries, bandanas and clothing. Our stuff comes from the country of origin, so we have stuff from Nepal, India, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey."

O'Neal said he thought an event like this was important for NT students to learn about other cultures.

"I think any time we learn a little bit more about our neighbors, it's a good thing," he said.

Crowley junior Tracy Crouch of the Anthropology Student Association manned a table set up with temporary tattoos to show the cultural aspect of body modification, and she gave out fliers about the organization, as well as information on the anthropology department.

Crouch said she was excited to participate in an event where international awareness was the main focus.

"Students should participate in things that are multicultural to learn about everybody else," she said. "If we understood each other more, then we wouldn't have as many problems as we do."

Paris sophomore Michelle McKinney checked out the market while walking through campus after class and said she enjoyed the diversity on display.

"It's always good to see other cultures and how other people live," McKinney said. "It's good for students to see a bunch of different culture backgrounds to appreciate."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools