FSU Hosts The Most Popular 29th International Bazaar This Year

The annual International Bazaar, hosted by the Centre for Global Engagement (CGE), allows campus cultural groups to share their history and heritage with one another, as well as attendees from FSU and the greater Tallahassee community. This was the first full-scale international bazaar since 2020, due to the pandemic and the construction of the student union.

The afternoon featured performances by several groups, including Seoula System, a Tallahassee-based K-pop dance group; the FSU Belly Dancers; and Indak, the FSU Filipino Student Association’s (FSA) traditional dance troupe.

The Indian Student Association of Tallahassee hosted a Festivals of India showcase, and the Middle East Centre at FSU put on a fashion show.

Between performances, 28 student groups displayed their cultures and organisations using table displays and interactive presentations. The family-friendly event also included a kids’ corner where children could play games and make crafts with an international theme.
Junior Odezza Campos represented the FSA at the 29th Annual International Bazaar. As the FSA’s historian, she emphasised the significance of events like this in promoting cultural exchange.

“It’s valuable to have spaces like this where you can experience other cultures,” he said. “That’s why the FSA is always willing to come out because we love spreading Filipino culture to the Tallahassee community.”

Sophomore Ian Javelosa, FSA’s cultural chair, attended the event with Campos. He performed alongside Indak.

“Indak is the cultural dance team under FSA, so normally we do traditional dances like tinikling, sayaw sa bangko, and pandanggo sa ilaw,” Javelosa said in a statement. “We perform for banquets and Asian Student Union events, so it was really fun to get to perform at the International Bazaar.”

Marie Bea, a graduate student in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, represented the African Graduate Students Association (AGSA) at the gathering. As president of the AGSA, she expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to participate.

“It’s been an honour for the AGSA to participate in the 29th edition of the International Bazaar at Florida State University,” Bea said in a statement. “We were able to mingle with other registered student organisations and discover cultures, and we hope to come back next year.”
Jordan Wilson, a senior majoring in criminology, represents the Multicultural Greek Council, which oversees eight culturally diverse fraternities and sororities on campus. She emphasised the importance of the event, which allowed those in attendance to learn more about other cultures.

“I’m happy this event is open to the public because I feel like representation matters,” Wilson said in a statement. “Seeing all these faces here from various backgrounds is heartwarming, especially since this is a campus-hosted event. It simply demonstrates that the campus cares.”
Daniel Nieto, a senior majoring in international affairs, is the vice president of the Venezuelan Student Association. He emphasised the association’s objectives for participating in the event.

“We wanted to come out to this event just to put the word out that there’s a Venezuelan association on campus, to attract as many members as possible, and also to meet and network with other cultural organisations that exist on campus,” Nieto went on to say.

Chandler Gadea-Guidicelli, the CGE’s intercultural programmes manager, organised and oversaw the bazaar. Gadea-Guidicelli organises a variety of events and programmes throughout the year, including the Global Ambassador and Global Noles programmes, International Coffee Hour, and Global Café.

“The International Bazaar had great energy throughout the entire event,” Gadea-Guidicelli stated. “We provided a framework for coordination, but it was the incredible table displays and performances from the university RSOs and community that really stood out that afternoon. I’m excited to see what future international bazaars will bring.”

The international food sampling included falafel with tahini sauce, steamed dumplings with soy dipping sauce, samosas and cilantro chutney, tamales de elote with crema salsa, mini quiche, and a hibiscus ginger drink. Jesse O’Reilly, CGE’s in-house professional chef, and his team spent two days preparing the food.