Campus Connection

On April 3rd, the MSTF atrium was the venue for World Fest 2008, an annual celebration of the worldly delights of food, fashion and music. Bringing together students and staff of all nationalities and cultures, the event is a definite highlight of the UMB social events calendar. The event, organized by Jill Venezian, was sponsored by Jewish Student Association with assistance from the USGA. The food was catered through local Baltimore eateries and included a fine selection of Indian, Italian, Caribbean, Thai and Chinese cuisine.

 A student organized fashion show provided entertainment during the feasting with beautiful and elaborate traditional attire on display. The catwalk included both relatively simple attire, as with the Nigerian dress, to an intricate North Indian dress, adorned with beads and sequins. Also on show were elegant Chinese and Thai wear.

For those not in the grips of a food-induced coma, an evening of salsa and cha-cha awaited. A large portion of the auditorium was cleared and music of a latino flavor beckoned the would-be dancers. The lessons, provided by Hugo Badillo of Dancing With Grace, were a crash-course in the basic steps of the two types of dance. Any initial reservations due to ones ‘lack of rhythm’ or of having ‘two-left feet’ were quickly dispelled by Hugo’s constant encouragement and the lessons progressed at an easy pace.  

On the whole the evening proved to be a hit and the popularity of the event will ensure it remains a permanent fixture for many years to come.

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