James Oatis

He/Him

Staff Writer

11/24/24

International Students Week is an October tradition at PSU to honor and acknowledge the nationalities and cultures of various Plymouth State students. The festivities began on Tuesday with a flag parade around campus. Representatives from countries including Canada, Norway, and Sweden marched past Rounds and Mary Lyon Hall to display their countries’ pride.

The main event, The Multicultural Fair, happened the following Wednesday. The HUB was covered in tables with different flags representing around 30 cultures of students from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, according to Paige Paradise, the IDEA Center’s coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. The Norway table displayed majestic footage of the country with samples of the chocolaty Bamse Mums for sampling, while the table for Mexico exhibited marigold flowers to guide passed loved ones to the altar on the Day of the Dead.

Foreign countries were not the only groups represented at the fair. Many booths included representatives of various cultures, like the Circassians, an indigenous mountain people in central Asia, or the Caucasus region, represented by Laylah Tsay.

The multicultural fair at Plymouth is one of the most important events, not just to gain a perspective and to celebrate international students, but for students to express and inform others about their heritage.