International Education Week Festival
By Miguel Murillo
International Education week at Chaffey College is a three-day event with the purpose of sharing and celebrating different cultures and perspectives that make up the world. It was a two-hour event with many students looking to learn more and to connect with others.
Saba Kazmi -- a coordinator that has been working with international students at Chaffey for 29-years -- stated, "I've been always honored to celebrate this event. This event brings the global community together."
Students browsing tables at 2025 International Education Week. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
This was an outdoor event with students first impressions being a tour of the different tables that represented the different cultures.
Tanvir Singh, 19, Computer Science major, said they were mostly just browsing.
Singh said, "It was cool, nice to see people embrace their cultures as well as others."
The African table at the International Education Week event. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
A table at the International Education Week event. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
Some clubs and organizations joined in such as Student Government and Chaffey Game Development Club.
Student Government had a "Spin the Wheel" game for students to go up and spin to win some prizes. This was also an opportunity to connect and talk with their members.
Student Government’s Spin the Wheel game at the event. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
Chaffey's Game Development Club was another participant in this event. The game that they displayed was about making foods that represent different cultures.
They showcased Pozole to represent Mexican cuisine and Zongzi to represent traditional Chinese food. Pozole is a soup with pork and hominy. Zongzi is a rice dish wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Daniel Hu, president of Chaffey Game Development Club, stated that, "[Our game] is an interactive experience that teaches players different recipes from across the globe by having them play easy mini games."
"Even though it needs lots of polish and additions, I still had lots of fun showcasing the game during International Education Week," Hu said. "I hope some students learned something new from our game."
Chaffey Game Development Club’s interactive game. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
The entertainment portion of International Education Week took to the stage to celebrate the art of music and performance.
It started with David Rentz, a Professor of Music at Chaffey College, who had the Chaffey College Chamber Choir performing songs.
Chaffey College’s Chamber Choir. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
Another participant was the University of Riverside. They were showcasing a cultural performance of art, music and dance performed by some of the students from the university.
Cultural dance performances. Photo by Miguel Murillo.
Students, such as Ekatherine Felix, 19, enjoyed the presentation of different cultures through their tables, food and entertainment.
"It was very fun to listen to music from around the world while seeing people from different cultures come together to celebrate," Felix stated. "I definitely feel like I connected with others for the event. I would say it turned out pretty well and it was so fun to watch others enjoy it as well."
Lance Landayan, 19, also enjoyed the entertainment portion of the festival.
"It was a great opportunity for people of all different cultures and backgrounds to come together and celebrate," Landayan stated.
These events showcase the importance of learning about other cultures as they broaden worldviews and give students a chance to connect with all of the different people that they meet.
Andrew Long, Dean of Instructional Support, stated that events like these have also helped him. He wanted students to be able to take away something from events like these.
"These types of experiences that are available during International Education Week to you as you pursue your own education have absolutely changed my life," Long stated. "They have opened my eyes in ways I didn't think that were possible."
Students had an appreciation for the event and found it to be an enriching experience for learning about cultures. The event provided an outlet for everyone to express themselves regardless of their culture. Whether it be through the music, dancing, or talking with the different people at the event, everyone was able to learn how important it is to seek out new experiences.