By TIMISHA HENLEY and TIFFANY MERRITT
On Saturday April 9th, 2016 UNCG held its 34th International Festival (I-Fest). The International Festival is an annual celebration of the diverse world in which we live in and of the beauty that all human cultures have to offer. I-Fest promotes cultural awareness, appreciation and understanding through music, food, crafts, demonstrations and entertainment from all over the globe. The event took place along College Ave, where about 40 different booths participated in the event.
At the New Mind Education table, students and visitors were invited to create their own traditional Chinese kites. Unfortunately, we did not have the time or material to make the kites in the traditional method; however we thought of an effective way to improvise. First, participants glued a cross beam structure of wooden dowels onto white butcher paper. Then they folded the paper around the wooden dowels to form crisp borders and the shape of a diagonal kite. After the structure of the kite was established, participants were able to paint colorful designs on their kite with paint markers.
Our students enjoyed practicing their English with Americans as they taught them how to make the kites. This activity turned out to be popular since it was a a very windy day–the perfect kind for flying kites! The International Festival was a great way for our students to experience and learn about different cultures.