Banquet offers international tastes
On Saturday at 5:15 p.m. an array of food aromas will lure students, faculty, staff and the community to the TSC Ballroom. The International Students Council will present their annual banquet, open to all.
Organization president Janitha Nandalochana said the primary appeal will be the food, with entertainment as a close secondary. With collected recipes, student cooks and help from USU Catering, the menu features appetizers, entrées and desserts from around the globe. Regions included are India, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, Armenia and the Polynesian islands.
Nandalochana said the theme makes this year’s banquet unique. The tickets are designed to look like boarding passes and ushers will play the role of “flight attendants.” As guests arrive, they will notice the ballroom is decorated to appear like an airplane. They will pick up their appetizers and be seated at one of the tables representing a particular country, with authentic decorations. There will be a slideshow between appetizers and entertainment.
The 16 acts comprising the show will also make a unique show this year, said Satenik Sargsyan, secretary of the International Students Coucil.
“This year’s entertainment is more diverse,” she said. “With performances from Africa and Europe, the show has never been this representative of the world.”
Sargsyan said the show’s cohesiveness will please viewers.
“All of the performances are really very good. They are individual performances, but they are all somehow tied together,” she said.
She said the banquet is a rare opportunity for the community.
“I don’t believe we have an international event for the Logan community as big as this,” she said. “So in many ways it will be very surprising.”
Performances like the African dance, Japanese traditional fisherman dance, Indian singers and music from an authentic Chinese guzhan instrument will stand out in the show, Sargsyan said.
Another highlight, she said, will be the performances by Kenneth Mbwanji and Nazneen Malik, who won the titles of Mr. and Ms. International for their performances during International Education Week.
Sargsyan said, “They were the two best performers so this will be a special treat to the Logan community.”
Tickets cost $12 for students and $15 for anyone else. Nandalochana said the event is not a fundraiser. Sargsyan said there will be no profit.
“We’re actually losing money on it,” she said.
Nandalochana said the organization made an effort to lower the cost of tickets, despite the expense of food and other supplies.
“Catering suggested the tickets should be $18 to $20 to cover expenses. But we want the students and community to experience this. We wanted to take down the price as much as we can,” he said, “We were able to do it.”
Cultural enrichment is the experience Nandalochana wants to achieve.
“I want people to get the message of a small world. We international students represent a lot and we have a lot of diverse culture we can bring to the community,” he said.
He said guests will receive much from the authentic food and decorated tables.
Nandalochana said the one-time buffet line will have enough to fill stomachs.
“In the past we have never run out of food and people have always been satisfied … and surprised by the variety of delicious food.” Nandalochana said.
He said it’s a great deal, considering the comparable cost of going out to eat.
“This way you also get entertainment,” he said.
USU President Stan Albrecht has been very supportive of the event, Nandalochana said.
“(Albrecht) has been very helpful and glad we are doing this for the university,” he said.
The event guest of honor is Afton Tew, to whom the International Sunburst Lounge in the TSC is dedicated. Tew worked as the director of the International Students Office and developed several programs for students.
The organization has been planning this event since the semester started. Nandalochana said planners are still arranging the details, trying to keep the dinner and show within three hours. He said he is excited to see it all come together. With all eight International Student Council members planning, several students performing and students cooking, he said about 50-60 people are involved in the production of this event. He said he expects about 375 people to come to the banquet.
–april.larsen@aggiemail.usu.edu