Festival of Cultures to celebrate diversity of CSB and SJU campuses Nov. 21

Here's a trivia question for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University:

CSB and SJU has a total enrollment of 3,640 students for the 2015-16 school year. International students make up 4.4 percent of the overall CSB/SJU population. How many countries are represented among the international student population?

If you answered 27, you are correct. As a reward, you should visit the 18th annual Festival of Cultures beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Haehn Campus Center and Clemens Field House at CSB. The event is free and open to the public.

Festival of Cultures (FOC) celebrates and recognizes the diversity of CSB and SJU through student performances, food sampling and a fashion show.

"FOC is a time to make the global local, and the local global," said Brandyn Woodard, director of Intercultural and International Student Services at CSB and SJU. "It's a time for us to be reminded of the breadth of diversity present in our community, and to learn more about how we can go from awareness to genuine welcome and full inclusion."

Some of the countries or cultures that will sponsor booths at the event include China, Japan, Hmong, Mexico, South Africa, Rwanda, Korea, France, Italy, Belize and the Bahamas. Some of those booths will serve samples of traditional food from their countries or regions.

In addition, there are 20 students or groups performing, including groups representing Ireland, Ethiopia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and India.

"Ultimately, I'd love FOC to be another example to us all of our individual and collective roles in making equity of experience and opportunity more real for all students, with the first step being having authentic relationships with one another across and because of our similarities and differences," Woodard said.

The event is sponsored by Intercultural and International Student Services at CSB and SJU.