Story by Andrea Lopez, for The Muleskinner—

From the holy land, to the Great Wall of China, 569 individuals from 59 different countries make up the diverse group of International students at UCM this semester.

In celebration of cultures from around the globe, Culture Night was hosted by International students Kriti Gopal and Samer Nowalaiti, in Hendricks Hall Saturday evening.

The double decker theater was filled with eager guests who were ready to see the array of entertainment acts.

The evening consisted of a talent, flag and fashion show. Presented by the International Student Organization (ISO), Culture Night enabled the international students to display a piece of their culture with the community.

To open the night, the JTK pop band of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, made their debut by performing songs from their homelands.

Childhood memories were brought back for many when the appearance of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach made it on stage.

Performed by Japanese students, the Super Mario and friends show was a crowd pleaser.

The Japanese students kept the crowd going with their comedic performance “Sushi.”

The audience seemed to most enjoy the part where the comedians talked about how to get an American girl.

For the fellas out there, if you can get your wink down, you are well on your way.

As for South Korea, a group of five girls performed a Korean pop dance to the popular Gangnam style song.

Heading west of the East China Sea, the performances got more subtle.

Chinese student, Jiawei (William) Tsai, performed a piano solo of a romantic composer.

“Now that is what I call a masterpiece,” host Samer Nowalaiti commented. In addition, traditional Chinese and Vietnamese dances were showcased.

Moving on North to the largest country in the world, two Russian students showed off their vocal and musical talent to the song “Russian Girl”.

India, the country of royal cities and mountain escapes, was presented in various dances among the Indian students.

Inspired by the Bollywood style dancing, the dances were energetic and fast paced.

Similar to the Indian dances and dressed in bright colors, the Nepalese students participated in a choreographed dance.

Alongside the Indian border, students from the country of Bangladesh played the guitar and sang.

Entering into the holy land, 12 men dressed in formal Saudi Arabian attire performed a traditional dance to honor their homeland.

Last but not least of the performances, the African Student Association Dance Team ended with a bang.

The members of the dance represented the following countries: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritania and Rwanda.

After the international students were able to flaunt their talents, a fashion show was led to display traditional dress from around the world.

Aside from the countries that performed in the performances area, the countries of Morocco, Zimbabwe and Sinai made their fashion statement.

To end Culture Night, each country from the show presented their flag on stage.

The 2013 Culture Night was a huge success and drew many people in. On behalf of Culture Night, ISO is making a $500 donation toward Habitat for Humanity.

During the fall semester, on Oct 12, ISO will be hosting an International Food Show in the Rec center.

For more information regarding Culture Night, please contact ISO president Kriti Gopal at gopal@ucmo.edu.