March festival at UK highlights diversity

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By Kellie Ann Doligale

UK will get a month-long look at different cultures during March events on campus.

Throughout the month, UK will host the 20th annual Cultural Diversity Festival, which kicks off with the International Talent Night at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Karen Slaymaker, director for International Student Services, said this year’s International Talent Night will feature performances of Turkish dance and music, classical Indian dances, Capoeira, an International Fashion Show and more.

Nazeeha Jawahir, president of the International Student Council, which is hosting the event, said the acts come from many different locations, including here in Kentucky.

The theme of this year’s festival is “One Campus. One World.” Though the International Talent Night is one of the biggest events in the festival, other activities offer students the opportunity to learn something about cultures other than their own. Jawahir said the Talent Night, and the Cultural Diversity Festival as a whole, can help broaden UK students’ perspectives and introduce them to cultures and backgrounds they probably normally wouldn’t interact with.

“It really showcases the incredible range of talent that we have here at UK, from all over the world,” Jawahir said.

The festival, according to its Web site, is dedicated to “highlighting the wealth of diversity represented at UK and strives to engage all students, faculty and staff, as well as the Lexington community, through fostering dialogue, encouraging new experiences and promoting unity.”

“I think it demonstrates we are all an important part of this campus — whatever our ethnic backgrounds, places of origin, religious beliefs, abilities or sexual orientation,” Slaymaker said. “We celebrate the diversity of our campus and set aside time to discuss what that means.”

The entry fee for the International Talent Night Saturday night is $3, and Student Government is sponsoring a drawing for an iPod Touch, for which all attending students are eligible. For more information on the Cultural Diversity Festival, you can visit the Web site (http://www.uky.edu/DiversityFestival/index.html).