On Saturday, March 25, Tiffin University’s Office of International Affairs and the International Dinner Committee hosted a longtime community favorite event in the Heminger Center – the 32nd International Dinner. As is always the case, the purpose of the affair was to celebrate the rich heritages and cultural backgrounds of those from the 35 countries currently represented at the University. This year, the theme of the dinner was, “To Travel is to Live,” after the quote by Hans Christian Andersen.
Members of the TU faculty and staff, as well as their families, Board of Trustee representatives, people from the City of Tiffin and many others were in attendance – over 300 guests in total. In fact, the Office of International Affairs sold every last ticket they had made for the occasion. It was a packed house, indeed.
“I want to thank not only this year’s attendees, but also the wonderful folks on the committee who helped our office throughout the planning process,” said Caitlyn Bass Wysowaty, Manager for International Affairs. “None of this would have been possible without the continued support of the Dragon Family. This year’s dinner was so much fun, I don’t know how we’re going to outdo ourselves in 2024. With a team like ours though, I’m sure we’ll find a way!”
Keeping up with tradition, the evening was accompanied by a trip around the world in the form of international cuisines. Each year, AVI Foodsystems curates a wonderful and diverse menu of foods from across the globe for guests to enjoy, and this round was no exception. Hungry partygoers were treated to dishes like the Lebanese fattoush salad, Hungarian chicken paprikash with spaetzle and for dessert, Italian cannolis and Mexican churros. The food was served buffet-style, and not a single person left hungry after all was said and done.
It wouldn’t be an authentic TU International Dinner without an array of stunning cultural performances, and this year’s lineup did not disappoint. First up to the stage was Liz Files, a vocalist based in Columbus. Files sang the Italian Torna di Tito a lato, from Mozart’s opera, La Clemenza di Tito. Everyone in-house was blown away when Files hit those high notes.
Up next to the stage was Michael Appiah Adjei, a TU international student who read an original poem about the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding his home continent of Africa – in an effort to educate attendees about its robust cultural history. Adjei spoke passionately about the pride he held for his home.
Following Michael was El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico – a Mexican ballet company based in Toledo. Dancers from the troupe performed several traditional Hispanic ballet numbers, which, per tradition, make frequent use of the dancers’ dresses, which have extra fabric at the sides to be twirled midair, creating beautiful visual displays.
After the ballet troupe came Joseph Nakhle and Omar Kurdi, a vocalist and instrumentalist duo based in Cleveland. The pair performed several songs from numerous communities within the Middle East – in native tongues, of course. Attendees were in awe of the beautiful rhythms and tones, as they were by the personal anecdote Nakhle gave preceding each song, where he spoke to the significance of each piece to its countries’ inhabitants.
Members of the TiffinArts student choir, who performed two songs from a set they’d been practicing, capped the night with a special performance.
The Tiffin University community would like to congratulate the Office of International Affairs and members of the International Dinner Committee on another successful event, and extends its sincerest thanks to all student and staff volunteers. Here’s looking forward to next year!
For more information about the Annual International Dinner visit: tiffin.edu/admissions/international-students/annual-international-dinner/