Kiran Pandey

Staff Writer

Each year, the International Student Association, in collaboration with the International Programs Offices, organizes an evening of music, performances and an array of food to celebrate the diversity of the Pocatello community.

The International Student Association will celebrate the night on February 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Pond Student Union building.

“The preparation is intense,” said International Student Association president Aayush Jha. “The board members have been active the last couple of weeks to advertise the event and bring the ISU community together.”

The history of International Night dates back two decades, and since then, the international student community at ISU has celebrated their cultures with the Pocatello community by cooking food and putting on music and other performances.

Abdul Khalil Azizi, who serves as an advisor for the International Student Association and a student advisor for the International Programs Office, emphasized the size of the international student community at ISU. ISU reported enrollment for over 900 international students in fall 2016.

To represent those students, volunteers will offer their musical and culinary skills for the evening, he said.

“A lot of performance groups who want to come for the night are showing up,” Azizi said. “There will be six to seven performances and five to six different kind of foods on International Night.”

The night will commence with a flag show in which students from different countries will highlight their nation’s flag. The flag show has become a center of attraction in the event for many years.

After the flag show, International Night will feature several cultural performances representing different countries. The ISA is collecting names for interested performers.

Annual funding for international night, an estimated $4,000 this year, according to Azizi,  is usually obtained through ticket sales. ASISU is also involved in providing funds for the night through funding opportunities available to clubs and other university organizations and events.

ISA members have staffed a stall in the PSUB where people can buy tickets and learn more about the event.

“Ticket sale is not that rapid at the table now, but we hope a lot of people will buy tickets at the door on the day of event,” Jha said.

ISA members are working with other departments to garner support for the event and seeking volunteers to aid the club in selling tickets and making the event successful. Volunteers will receive free admission.

Tickets are $7 for students, $8 for faculty and staff and $9 for the public in advance of the event and will increase by $1 at the door. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the PSUB at the International Night table or online on the International Student Association Facebook page.