International Showcase: “Sharing a piece of home”
The Royal Roads community flocks to the yearly International Showcase, not just because of the delicious food, beautiful music and intricate dances, but also to experience the atmosphere of joy, community and belonging.
The 2023 International Showcase happens May 18 at the Dogwood Auditorium and will feature performances by students and food samples from around the world.
The event is organized by the RRU Student Services team with help from campus ambassadors, who are student volunteers.
“Music and food are a universal form of communication, and here at the showcase, we can share that connection with the world,” says Paloma Quijanoflores, a student of Master of Arts in Intercultural and International Communication, a campus ambassador and emcee for the Showcase.
“In short, attendees can expect a day full of fun, culture, and music in an incredible international atmosphere,” she says.
Beerinder Singh, a MAIIC student and campus ambassador, is joining Quijanoflores as emcee at the Showcase, an important role that sets the tone of the event.
“The International Showcase is an opportunity for each student to share a piece of their home with everyone,” says Singh. “We all carry a part of our home with us, and the Showcase is an opportunity to represent that.”
Students are bringing performances from traditional song and dance to fashion and poetry, and a wide variety of food and drink from their home countries.
The International Showcase is an opportunity for each student to share a piece of their home with everyone.
Beerinder Singh, International Showcase emcee
Khushi Sutariya, a student in the Bachelor of Business Administration, specialty in Innovation and Sustainability program, will be showcasing fashion from her home country of India.
“We have a lot of international students here and there are some good celebrations done on campus to help us connect,” she says, noting her appreciation for finding ways to connect with culture away from home.
Another student performer, Olise Ogene, is representing his home country of Nigeria and reciting poetry about hope.
“I love poems, so I wanted to do a rendition of a couple of poems with a fusion of poetry and culture and reflect on what RRU stands for in terms of hope, and what kind of hope it brings to international students and a global audience,” says Ogene.
Ogene is halfway through his MAIIC degree and says his experience has been fulsome.
“It’s beyond school for me,” he says. “Some people just come to school and get their stuff done and get out — I came here not just to get through school, but I also want Royal Roads to go through me and I want to relish every moment here — carry the enthusiasm that everybody brings here and take it out there.”
The International Showcase will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 in the Dogwood Auditorium. Students, faculty and staff should register now to guarantee a seat.
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