The annual international welcome party took place on Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. in the OUC Ballroom, and was a joint collaboration of the Center for International Programs, the Diversity Resource Center and the Student Engagement and Leadership Office.
“The event I experienced was a pretty good experience and I think it was a great way to introduce the international program to the students,” said Antonio Reyes, a program officer at SEAL.
The evening began with the welcome by the Director of International Programs at CSU-Pueblo, Annie Williams, and was followed by the introduction of next year’s International Students Association’s officers.
After Williams, Jeanne Gibson, the director of English Language Institute at CSU-Pueblo, introduced a few international students who played piano and showed some traditional dances from their respective countries as a part of the talent show.
“It was a great night full of cultures, music and dancing which showed that fun and friendship are universal,” Gibson said.
The international dance party began shortly after, with all the international and American students dancing together.
“The international dance night was a great event that allowed us to know more about other cultures,” said Renata Gomez, international student from Colombia at CSU-Pueblo. “We danced on the international music that we didn’t even know and it was great.”
The disk jockey for the night was an international student from Germany named Jannik Muller, who works as a DJ in Germany.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to get in contact with people from various countries, liked to listen to their music and watch them perform their dances for me. It was an outstanding experience and I really enjoyed being part of it,” Muller said.
The night also served as a great opportunity for American students to make friends with the international students on campus.
“I had a wonderful time with my friends and also making new international friends. Dancing was fun and being able to witness so many talents was a privilege while relaxing and having fun after a long week,” said Cristiana Davis, a business major at CSU-Pueblo.
Other events of the night featured the international dance moves, which students shared with each other and then danced together on songs from different cultures.
“It was an awesome experience for me and my friends to teach the Bollywood dance to all the other international students, who actively danced with us,” said Chaitanya Reddy, an international student from India at CSU-Pueblo.
