Festival of Nations makes long-awaited return to Bemidji State

Daltyn Lofstrom, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
·4 min read
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Apr. 15—BEMIDJI — Hard work and determination of students in

Bemidji State's

International Student Organization resulted in a long-awaited return of a notable multicultural event this past weekend.

Transforming BSU's Beaux Arts Ballroom into a cultural oasis on Saturday evening, the annual Festival of Nations brought together over 200 campus and community members for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Upon arrival, attendees picked up their "passports" in which they could collect stickers representing different countries. Continuing in line, a range of international foods and beverages were available for those with the most adventurous palettes.

Muhammad Hasnain, an environmental science graduate student, aided in the serving line as he aimed to showcase his Pakistani culture.

"People should connect, and culture and food is a way to connect," Hasnain said. "The Festival of Nations is one of the best events in which we can be more inclusive and involve the community."

Having earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Cecos University in Pakistan, Hasnain continued to earn a master's degree in construction management at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom.

Looking at other graduate options in the United States, Hasnain had a choice between attending California State University or BSU. Previously exposed to cooler temperatures, BSU wasn't so unusual in terms of climate when he visited in January 2022.

"It was one of the coldest days that I'll never forget," Hasnain detailed, "but when I came here, I liked the weather and a small campus. So I just decided to stay here."

Hasnain was also offered a graduate assistantship that ultimately sealed the deal to attend the Northwoods university.

"My department was so excited based on my experience and my background," Hasnain said, "and once the assistantship position is reflected on your offer letter, the chance of getting a visa is pretty high."

Upon his arrival, Hasnain found it important to reinstate the

International Student Organization

as an active club that had turned dormant throughout the pandemic. As it would turn out, he became ISO's first post-COVID president.

"It was of interest to me because I have to keep my culture alive and I feel like ISO is the best thing for me to get connected to my culture and get people to connect with the culture," Hasnain said. "It makes BSU more diverse and lets people know more about the culture. That is what motivated me to become involved."

ISO's current president, junior Juliana Nixon, would join forces with Hasnain and others to bring back the Festival of Nations after five years.

"This was a lot of work and I'm grateful for the people who helped out because this is definitely not a job for one person," Nixon said.

A major consideration during the planning process was a representation of BSU's current international student body.

"We looked at the list of international students and we had a voluntary survey go out saying we were having this event," ISO advisor Ashley Gomez said. "That's how we came to who would be featured, and then making sure students who were unable to participate were represented in the meal in some way, somehow."

Enjoying the fruits of their labor on Saturday, Nixon expressed excitement for the event's return alongside a higher-than-expected turnout.

"I did not expect the turnout to be this great," Nixon said. "With this being the first one after years of not having it, we didn't know how it was going to turn out. But I'm just really happy with it."

Among musical performances, door prizes and camaraderie, Gomez shared similar sentiments about the event coming to life so seamlessly.

"We had planned for 200 people and within the first 30 minutes, we ran out of our little souvenirs at the front door, which is a great problem to have," Gomez noted. "Everything is the way we envisioned it."

A part-time natural science instructor at Leech Lake Tribal College, Hasnain invited his own students and fellow faculty members to the Festival of Nations with the idea of connection at the forefront of his invitation.

"These kinds of events can connect other campuses around the Bemidji area," he said.

Moving into the future, Nixon hopes to highlight cultural unity and the range of cultures present on campus. The Festival of Nations is just one way to do that, she mentioned.

"There are a lot more international students, more cultures and people from different backgrounds," Nixon left off. "The fact that this unifies us and brings us together to celebrate a cause is just so amazing."