Florida State University’s International Bazaar drew more than 850 attendees Saturday, Feb. 15, for a vibrant showcase of global culture, featuring music, dance and fashion from student organizations.
For three decades, the Center for Global Engagement’s flagship intercultural event has brought students, faculty, staff and the Tallahassee community together to celebrate heritage and cultural richness. This year’s bazaar featured student-led displays, exhibits and interactive experiences highlighting traditions from around the world.
With over 2,500 international students and scholars on campus from 120 countries, this year’s International Bazaar highlighted the rich global community at FSU.
Performances ranged from a fashion show by the African Graduate Student Association to choreography by K-pop dance group Seoula System and a showcase by the FSU Belly Dancers, creating an immersive experience for attendees.
Chandler Gadea-Guidicelli, CGE intercultural programs manager, planned and coordinated the International Bazaar. Gadea-Guidicelli coordinates events and programs throughout the year, such as the Global Ambassador and the Global Noles programs, International Coffee Hour, Global Café and a series of Intercultural Programs in collaboration with academic departments and student organizations. Her position is key to providing learning experiences for FSU students and promoting interaction between domestic and international students.
“The Bazaar in particular is very special to me because it’s a celebration of FSU and Tallahassee’s international and globally minded community,” Gadea-Guidicelli said. “The CGE team and volunteers did a great job working together to provide this framework for the tabling and performance groups to shine, and that they did. I look forward to being a part of many future International Bazaars!”
Other performances included the Chinese Music Ensemble from the College of Music, a salsa dance from FSU’s Corazon Dancers, and a Tinikling dance choreographed by Indak, the Filipino Student Association’s traditional dance troupe.
Milina Tamrakar, a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in rhetoric and composition who serves as the president of the Nepalese Student Association, played the Sitar for attendees. She said the event was a great opportunity to learn something new and meet new people.
“FSU has so many international students, and this is a very good opportunity to showcase their own identities, cultures and traditions through the different musical performances and dances,” Tamrakar said. “It allows us to understand other cultures, knowing we have similarities and differences but can still understand and respect each other.”
In addition to music and performances throughout the afternoon, 28 student groups had their own interactive displays across the venue. Spread around both sides of the Student Union Ballrooms, attendees had the opportunity to approach each of the tables and learn about the organizations at FSU. These included Registered Student Organizations, fraternities and sororities from the Multicultural Greek Council, academic centers, the Center for Intensive English Studies and Tallahassee-based international groups.
To learn more about the Center for Global Engagement, visit cge.fsu.edu.