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Photos: International Education Week highlights a diverse community

Amanda Broome

25 Nov 2024

Collage of three photos. Photo one: a woman dances in a purple sari on stage. photo two: a man dances on a stage with a bright yellow flag. Photo three: Mary Maker speaking at her keynote address — At left, during the Dance of Nations, members of international student organizations showcased a variety of cultural dances. At center, a member of Cirque Kalabanté dances at the Moss Arts Center. At right, South Sudanese refugee Mary Maker delivers the keynote address at the Moss Arts Center. Photos by Max Catalano, Luke Hayes, and Lee Friesland for Virginia Tech.

Each year, Virginia Tech’s celebration of International Education Week gives students, faculty, and staff a chance to engage in and appreciate intercultural learning, research, and collaboration.

Held Nov. 11–16, this year’s event connected with more than 2,000 Hokies, featured more than 15 events, and was supported by over 20 departments and colleges.

The events included workshops encouraging intercultural learning as well as dancing, drumming, and lyrical performances.

Photos by Luke Hayes, Max Catalano, Rebecca Tran, and Lee Friesland for Virginia Tech.

Dance of Nations

The Dance of Nations is an annual showcase of international performances presented by the Council of International Student Organizations. Dancers are students from various international organizations from across the university.

Female dancer in white sari performs on stage

Female dancer in purple and gold sari performs on stage

Women in dresses line up on stage silhouetted against a red background

Man in white shirt and woman in red dress dance appear to dance a complicated salsa move on stage

Two women dance on stage in colorful red saris

A group wearing bandanas and dance in a circle on stage

Female dancer in black and red dresses dances Flamanco on stage

Cirque Kalabanté African Dance and Drumming Performance and Workshops

The Moss Arts Center welcomed Cirque Kalabanté, a premier West African circus company, for an explosive performance and two sold-out drumming and dance workshops. Cirque Kalabanté shows are inspired by life in Guinea but feature daredevil acrobatics and lively dancing driven by Afro-jazz, kora, and thunderous djembe drums.

Acrobatic performers strike a stunning pose on stage

Keynote Speaker: Mary Maker

Mary Maker, a South Sudanese refugee, educator, and activist, is one of the co-founders of Elimisha Kakuma, a program that provides access to higher education opportunities for high school graduates in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. As the keynote speaker for International Education Week, she used her own story of resilience to advocate for refugee education.

Mary Maker speaks at the podium in the Moss Arts Theater

Dean Belmonte speaks at the podium in the Moss Arts Theater

Mary Maker speaks on the stage in the Moss Arts Theater

Steger Center Immersive Experience

For students considering study abroad, the Steger Center Immersive Experience provided a chance to see Virginia Tech’s center in southern Switzerland without having to board a plane. With floor-to-ceiling screens, the Sandbox at the Moss Arts Center gave students a chance to see the beautiful 18th century Villa Maderni on a life-size scale.

Silhouettes of people looking a room displayed on a large floor-to-ceiling screen

Two people look at large screen in front of them. They are silhouetted by the light.

floor-to-ceiling screen displaying street view from Steger Center terrace

Silhouettes of three people looking a room displayed on a large floor-to-ceiling screen

Hokie Culture Crawl

New to the International Education Week lineup this year, the Hokie Culture Crawl encouraged students to explore the Cultural Community Centers and discover ways to engage with and learn about cultural differences. Those who completed the whole crawl earned a Hokie Culture Crawl T-shirt.

A sign reads "henna station" a hand is seen getting henna applied to it

Hokie Culture Crawl Sign at the check in booth

Five people sit around a table making a craft with beads

Black male students sitting and smiling. In the foreground the back of the Hokie Culture Crawl shirt can be seen

Six people gather around a small table. The table appears to hold food they're sharing.

Students checking in. staff assist them from behind the counter

Two students hold up a Hokie Culture Crawl shirt

A woman holds up a Hokie Culture Crawl shirt

Mulilingual Open Mic Night

The Mozaiko intercultural Living-Learning Community and the Cranwell International Center hosted an Multilingual Open Mic Night where students fluent in languages other than English were encouraged to share poetry, music, and many other performances from various cultures.