TORONTO, January 26, 2006 -- Hundreds of colorful flags will be waving, feet will be dancing and the aroma of delicious foods from around the globe will be wafting over the campus as York University students celebrate the fourth annual Multicultural Week.
On the menu are specialty foods such as Vietnamese shrimp chips, Armenian boregs (cheese pies), Caribbean fish cakes, Indonesian Lidah Kucing (cookies), and Portuguese natas (pastries). Students will be entertained by an Iranian pop group, they will watch a Northern Nepal Sherpa dance, and see an authentic Italian pizza-making demonstration, among other activities.
Multicultural Week is being held from Monday, January 30 through Thursday, February 2, 2006. A food fair, parade and stage show showcasing the music, fashion, and ethnic dances of many countries will all take place and transform parts of the campus into a global village.
“The diversity of backgrounds among students makes York University a perfect venue for a multicultural celebration,” says Jeremy Greenberg, Coordinator, Student Alumni Programs. “We are proud to be a multicultural community. Our campus is home to people from 130 countries around the world.”
An international award winner, Multicultural Week received the 2003 CASE Silver Medal for Student Involvement Programs, in its first year. It is the brainchild of York is U, the largest student organization at York, and the week promises to be one of the best and liveliest student events of the year.
Thousands of students participate each year in Multicultural Week, a highlight that brightens up the landscape and offers a strong antidote to those Winter Blues. Participating student clubs registered so far represent the following cultures and groups: Afghan, Armenian, Anatolian Turkish, Bharatiya, Bahai, Croatian, Cypriot, Ethiopian, East African, Guyanese, Ghanaian, Ismaili (Muslim), Iranian, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Latin American, Malaysian, Macedonian, Middle Eastern, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Portuguese, Serbian, Former Soviet Republics, Palestinian, Tamil, Caribbean, and Vietnamese.
“This is one of my favorite events all year,” says Saba Rafiq, signature events director and a fourth-year student. She adds, “About 30 different cultural clubs are participating. It takes place outside of class but it’s incredibly educational. It’s a chance for us all to learn more about one another’s traditions.“
Events during Multicultural Week include:
- Multicultural Village: A dazzling array of flags and cultural booths.
Monday, January 30 and Tuesday, January 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., York Lanes.
- Global Parade: Samba dancers will lead the parade, followed by York cheerleaders and members of various cultural clubs waving their flags.
Monday, January 30, 12:15 p.m., York
Lanes.
- Food Fair: A global feast of sample foods from around the world.
Wednesday, February 1, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Student Centre Underground.
- Stage Show: Song, dance and cultural entertainment featuring 20 different acts, including an Indian/Bollywood dance, a Portuguese songstress, Latin American salsa and traditional Afghani dance. Thursday, February 2, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Student Centre Food Court. York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 180,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 21 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges.
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