Written by Colin McEvoy | April 22, 2024 | SHARE
Lehigh University hosted its 35th annual International Bazaar, which seeks to recognize and celebrate the unique countries and cultures in the Lehigh community
Lehigh University’s global community was on proud display on April 21 during the 35th annual International Bazaar, the largest international celebration on campus.
“This is a great event,” said Estefania Ravelo Reyna ‘26, who wore a cultural Dominican dress as she stood at an information table for Lehigh’s Dominican Culture Club. “It’s highlighting a diverse mix of different clubs and organizations that we have here on campus, and it really shows you how many cultures there are here at Lehigh University.”
The International Bazaar seeks to recognize and celebrate the unique countries and cultures represented in the Lehigh community, through musical performances, information tables, fashion shows, a wide range of international food, and much more.
More than 45 organizations participated with tables or performances at this year’s Bazaar, which took place on the University Center front lawn. Hosted by Lehigh’s Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), the event is organized largely by volunteer students.
During her opening remarks, Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh, noted that the first international students at Lehigh arrived here from Brazil in 1868, just three years after the university opened. Today, Lehigh’s international community comprises more than 1,600 members representing 82 different countries.
“Our international students and our scholars are an important part of the university, and this Bazaar is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all of those cultures,” Matherly said. “This is one of those special events that mark spring here at Lehigh each year.”
This Bazaar featured some Global Union student clubs that have participated in the Bazaar in previous years, like the TUMBAO Latin-Caribbean Fusion dance team and the Helius Dance Club. It also included student clubs participating for the first time, like the Polynesian Student Alliance, the Lehigh University Association of Ghanaian Students, and the Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority.
The Vietnamese Student Association hosted a table in which students could play a traditional Fish-Prawn-Crab dice game, betting with candies instead of money. Although commonly played in places like Vietnam and China, many of the students who played it at the Bazaar said they had never heard of the game before.
“We’ve had a lot of people come to our table, play our game, and learn a little more about us,” said Mia Le ‘26 of the Vietnamese Student Association. “It’s great that this event brings together people of different backgrounds to come together.”
That sentiment was echoed by Kylie Park ‘25, secretary with the Korean Student Association. At its table, the club members described Korean culture to visitors, gave away snacks from South Korea, and invited people to play ddakji, a Korean game involving paper tiles, which was featured on the Netflix series Squid Game.
“We have so many cultural organizations on campus, and it’s easy to join them,” Park said. “It’s very welcoming and inclusive. You can definitely find your community here, for sure.”
The Bazaar also featured international food from a variety of local restaurants, including Anatolian Kitchen, Dajudah’s Kitchen, Hocca Bubble Tea, La Lupita, Machu Picchu Peruvian Restaurant, Nawab, The Olive Branch Restaurant, Rakkii Ramen, Thai Thai II, and more.
Patricia Goldman, Assistant Director of International Student Engagement at Lehigh, acknowledged the efforts of the International Bazaar board, which consists entirely of students and had been planning and preparing for the event since October. The board is organized through four student committees: logistics, food, marketing, and entertainment.
“We couldn’t do this without them,” Goldman said.
The Bazaar also attracts organizations that one wouldn’t necessarily expect to have an international focus. The Management Club at Lehigh’s College of Business will have a table highlighting how they teach international business practices, Goldman said, and last year the Center for Gender Equity had a display at the Bazaar about women’s rights around the world.
The Bazaar was established in 1986, and has been held almost every year at Lehigh University, except for a multi-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.