On Saturday, February 23rd from noon to 5 p.m., the 7th Annual International Festivalwill transform Panther Plaza on the Florida Tech campus. This vibrant cultural extravaganza is my personal favorite among the numerous unique events held on campus throughout the year. For those of you who haven’t yet attended, get ready for an astonishing array of International Student Organizations’ cultural displays, international food vendors and cultural performances including music, dance and art. Community organizations will take part and there will also be activities for kids.
You may be surprised to know that of the 4,224 students currently enrolled on Florida Tech’s Melbourne campus, 28.5% of Undergraduates and 43.2% of Graduate students are International students from a total of 110 countries. In an era of rapidly increasing global challenges and opportunities, it is imperative that our campuses and communities promote multinational understanding and cooperation. Florida Tech is truly a proud beacon for cross-cultural collaboration and this is cause for celebration…which brings me back to the International Festival.
WFIT will have a booth at the festival and we invite you to stop by and say hello. One of the objectives of Public Broadcasting stations such as WFIT is to promote cultural diversity through programming. WFIT proudly broadcasts several shows that showcase diversity such as On the Latin Side, C’est la Vie and Roots, Rock Reggae.
Last year’s International Festival was so much fun! I left my post at the WFIT table and took the opportunity to explore the colorful sights, sounds and tastes of other countries. Speaking of colorful, the event is a photographer’s delight, so be sure to bring your camera. You may also want to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
The International Festival is sponsored by Florida Tech International Student and Scholar Services, Florida Tech Residence Life, the Melbourne Regional Chamber of East Central Florida and WFIT 89.5 FM. For more information, please call 321-674-8053.
I hope to see you there!