A journey without borders

The Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom teemed with commotion as the first International Night 2012 rehearsal went into full swing.

Tables were bedecked with by bright yellow pieces of paper, markers and different shapes of clip art. Volunteers watched as a group of seven danced on the stage as the song “Bring the Boys Out” blasted from the speakers.

All of this activity was in preparation for the approximately 900 people expected to fill the ballroom Friday, May 18, when the International Student Organization will present their annual International Night.

Called “A Journey without Borders,” this event will showcase a culturally diverse array of performances, information and food from many different countries, all of which are represented in the Portland State student population.

By the time the first rehearsal took place, 900 tickets had been printed and less than 300 remained.

“It’s about celebrating the multicultural diversity that is represented here on campus,” said Whitney Gee, co-coordinator of the event. “It’s about celebrating multiculturalism and having a place for students to come express that.”

International Night 2012 will take over the first three floors of Smith.

On the first floor will be food tables. On the second floor will be informational booths representing the many home countries of PSU international students, who will be on hand to answer questions. And in the third floor ballroom will be students performing skits, dances and songs.

Korean hip-hop, American hip-hop, Saudi dances and other Middle Eastern performances will be prologue to a large dance party that will bring the evening to a close.

“Not all of us have the means to travel around the world, so this would be like a glimpse of a whole set of different countries and cultures here on campus,” said third-year committee member Supipi Weerasooriva.

Scott Anecito, a third-year participant, will be performing Sorambushi with a group. This ancient fisherman dance, which originated from the northern islands of Japan, is energetic and powerful.

“I hope the audience and participants realize that, even though we are all different…we can be more peaceful together,” said Anam Pasha, who is in charge of the event’s entertainment and fashion committees.

Pasha’s push for a travel-based theme is what gave this year’s International Night its name.

“People come from all over the world to PSU. When we had people think about what travel meant to them, we came up with ‘A Journey without Borders,’” she said.

International Night has been held annually for about 15 years

“We are really proud of ourselves because it is a chance for us to help our community promote the diversity at PSU,” co-coordinator Nhi Vu said.

The event is free, though donations are encouraged because they go directly to the organization’s international student emergency relief fund.

“We also see this as a chance to give back to our international student emergency aid fund, so when there’s political upheaval, or when there’s acts of nature that happened in these students’ home countries, they have some help,” said Jill Townley, associate director of international student life.