Volunteers handed out multicolored passports as Global Festival participants made their way through the door of the Union into the international smorgasbord.
Global Festival 2004 on Sunday was the culmination of International Education Week. The week included Asian artwork displays at the Kresge Art Museum, Global Plate dining options, Study Abroad information tables, international movies at Wells Hall and brief language sessions showcasing classes offered at MSU.
"It's not like looking at the 6 o'clock news seeing a hotel burnt in Singapore, an earthquake in Peru or the Iraq situation," said Alex McCrae, director of the festival. "Here's a positive thing for us to see and also for (international students) to see each other."
More than 4,000 people attend the festival, which included cultural games for children, an international menu, international art sales and dance and musical performances.
Also present were booths showcasing the culture of different countries, including the Philippines, Pakistan and Russia. The stations included everything from Japanese writing simulations to hand crafted puppets.
Michelle Wenzlick, the leader of two Girl Scout troops, said she has attended Global Festival for the past four years to give the scouts a chance to have fun learning about other cultures.
"In the school they go to, there's not very many different cultures; there's not many differences," she said. "It's nice for them to see that everybody is not the same."
The Department of Student Life, Community Volunteers for International Programs, the Office of International Students and Scholars and Visiting International Professional Program were some of the major contributors and volunteers for the festival.
McCrae said the event promotes cultural understanding, which is important to help societies and people develop and maintain positive relationships and accurate perceptions of one another.
"If you know somebody, it's hard to do something wrong to them," he said. "If they lived in your house, had dinner with you and brought you food, it's hard to say, 'All the people are ugly and vicious,' when you now know one that isn't. You can't have stereotypes when you mix."
Valerie Vanderkolk, a theater freshman volunteering at the Russia exhibit, said humanity overall should be respected as such.
"It's important to realize that people are just people, too, even if they do some different things, they're still people," she said.
Pamela John, a graduate student in pathology and a traditional Indian dance performer at the festival, said events such as Global Festival are a positive way to showcase international cultures in the face of assimilation in the United States.
"We're kind of lost here in America," she said. "The culture is already washed out. Now no one really identifies as their cultural background, everyone just says they're American except for the international students on campus."
