Montco Community College Hosts International Festival

The more than 2,000 students at Montgomery County Community College will represent about 35 nations at the second annual International Festival Wednesday, April 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus in Blue Bell.

If last year is any indication, you will find International Club President Gillian Nel wherever Turkish zucchini pancakes are being served. They were “absolutely delicious,” Nel said in an email interview. “I will admit I was hanging around that table for a while.”

The cuisine, arts and other cultural aspects of South Africa, Vietnam, Korea, Nigeria, Congo, Colombia, Brazil and Iran—to name a few, Nel said—will be available for the tasting, literally and metaphorically. Literally: Several ethnic restaurants will provide exotic refreshments, according to a press release. Metaphorically: The outside quad area will become a multicultural celebration with performances by dancers, singers and musicians and artwork at display tables throughout the quad; Easter egg decorating and henna (nonpermanent) tattoos will be available.

Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.

“I am really looking forward to the performances this year,” Nel said. “Like last year, we are having the belly dancers again … and a lot more students have signed up to perform, which is very exciting,” she said.

The Montgomery County Community College Student Leadership and Involvement Office is sponsoring the event; corporate sponsorship, as of press time, is provided by Target and McDonald’s. Other companies are helping provide raffle items, Nel said.

“This festival was created to share the different cultures and traditions of our international student body here at our school,” she said. “This is a great opportunity (for the international students) to really share a bit of themselves with the rest of the college and the community.”

Nel said planning the festival involves—and the emphasis in the form of capitalization and exclamation points is all hers—“MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!!!!!!  First, we have to get a committee who recruits students to sign up. And, as head of this event together with my advisor Dilek Arig, it takes a lot of meetings (sometimes up to twice a week) just to continuously check progress. We also have to contact everyone who is involved, from people who are bringing food to all the performers. It really is a lot of work, but seeing the night being successful will make it all worth it.” 

And despite all the planning and the fact that they’ve done this once before, “in the end, there always tends to be something we missed,” Nel said.

If, again, last year is any indication, the glitches tend not to matter.

“I would have to say that the fact that we have feedback from people who are miles and miles away, sometimes in other states, is really amazing!” Nel said. “I would like to add that the response from the American students have really been ‘WOW!’ It is great to see that American students are eager to share in this great experience, and also, their willingness to volunteer is very much appreciated.”

The rain date is April 26.