A global mosaic of a feast

The yearly international student gala dinner filled the Student Union Building with global colours, smells and sounds last month.

More than 350 international students attended the event, hosted by the International Centre (formally known as International Student and Exchange Services, ISES) as the culmination of a week of events and conferences. It also marked the winding down of a semester abroad for exchange students who will return soon to their home countries to continue their studies.

Ilenya Tretola came to Halifax from Italy for the semester.

“I am really happy I had the opportunity to become part of the community here,” she said. “Not only had the International Centre given us [exchange students] a welcome at the beginning with some good advice but also they have been there always to solve my problems”.  

Throughout the term, the International Centre has organized many events for new students to get to know each other and participate in the Dal community. The evening included a moment of thanks to one energetic international student in particular: the young man behind the Dal Tiger mask.

Percy Chen started at Dalhousie last year, and as proof of gratitude for his costumed efforts, he was rewarded with a small present: a tiger cuddly toy.

“It was a total surprise,” he said, sharing how he came to be under the mask in the first place. “I was the perfect candidate for the tiger costume because of my height and I thought it was going to be a great experience, so I decided I could help with that”. He was more than happy to don the Tiger suit again early in the gala to give candy to the audience.

He was not the only one wearing a costume: different nationalities and cultures were represented in style, helping make each student feel part of a broader cultural mosaic. Worldwide tastes and flavours were part of the gala as well: the food offered during the dinner was from different parts of the world, from couscous salad and baklava to Chana Masala.

And then there were the performances: starting with performers from the Maritime African Dance Centre, the evening featured a suite of performances that got the crowd up on their feet singing and dancing along.

Natalie Wood, from the International Centre, remarked that the event was a way for the students to celebrate “their role as global citizens.” And that message was not lost on the attendees, such as Nursel and Aysel Erey, two students from Istanbul.

“We arrived to Dalhousie this semester to start our four-year PhD here,” said Nursel. “After these months we can say that we are happy here and we really feel we are part of this community.”