Laughter filled the International Cultural Center Thursday night as members of the University community learned about Asian culture.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosted the Asian American Festival at the International Culture Center.
Kelly Kromer is a graduate assistant at the Office of Multicultural Affairs who said she hopes to put on more events in the future to celebrate Asian culture.
“Nothing was really happening for Asian-American cultural awareness,” Kromer said.
The program featured the 2,000-year-old art of oragami paper-folding, Chinese caligraphy writing and a workshop teaching attendants how to roll sushi.
The workshops that offered hands-on experience kept people interested throughout the night. Attendants sat and ate sushi, talked to their friends and socialized with other students as well as the volunteers working the event.
Hannah Metherne is a 10-year-old home-schooled student who has been doing oragami for two years.
“It is a way to use paper to make pictures,” Metherne said. “The way different countries work is amazing.”
A table was set up displaying paper made into everything from colorful flower bouquets to an elephant, complete with a trunk and a tail.
Katrice Albert, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said she was excited to host the event.
“The office’s mission is to recruit and retain under-represented student groups – particularly ethnic minorities,” Albert said.
“This is the first Asian-American event. We’re trying to galvanize the Asian-American student population as well as highlight the culture to the larger university,” she said.
Rosemary Tran, a biological sciences sophomore and Multicultural Affairs student worker, said she helped set up the program and was very interested in learning about the culture.
There was a wide range of ethnic diversity at the event. In all, about 60 people attended the festival.
“I came here to meet my friend,” said Mark Moss, a landscape architecture senior. “But I’ve really been wanting to learn how to roll sushi.”