United and respect will be the message behind St. Cloud State University’s inaugural South Asia Night 5-7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Atwood Memorial Center Ballroom.
The event is hosted by the Ayubowan Sri Lanka Organization, Bangladesh Student Association, Nepalese Student Association and Pakistan Student Association.
The night will start with a fair of culture displays for all eight countries within South Asia. All countries will put on a performance to share the aspects of its culture.
“Even though all eight countries are in South Asia, they differ a lot from each other, yet live in peace and harmony,” said Prakriti Maskey, chairperson for the South Asia Night Committee.
An authentic meal will be provided from the four cultures of the participating organizations. Each culture represented will have a popular starter and main course from their countries.
A variety of dances and singing performances from the different countries will provide entertainment along with cultural-interactive presentations.
“St. Cloud State has always been very open in terms of diversity and welcoming international students. Being able to plan and attend cultural nights here makes me feel closer to my home as it allows me to be a part of my culture and share it with everyone,” said Maskey.
Tickets for the event are $10 for the public, $7 for St. Cloud State students and free for kids five and under.
Cultural festivals are one way the university is providing a trans-formative educational experience for students to help prepare them to be global citizens at home, at work and in their communities. More than 1,000 students from 90-plus nations attend St. Cloud State, and cultural festivals give them an opportunity to share elements of their culture with the campus community.
