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International Festival Showcases Student Talents


One of many performers from the 2015 International Festival.

Mississippi College students from around the globe will showcase their extraordinary talents at the university’s International Festival.

MC family, friends and the metro Jackson community are invited to see a lively fashion show, enjoy music and riveting dance numbers from lands thousands of miles away. Audiences can also taste delicious food at a reception following the two-hour spring program on the Clinton campus. The April 8 show at Swor Auditorium begins at 6:30 p.m.

Students signing up for the cast come from 30-plus countries represented at the Christian university. And a number of them plan to entertain audiences that Friday evening.

The annual International Festival will definitely be a fantastic evening, says staff member Christina Bach of the MC Office of Global Education.

“There is so much energy because the students are so proud of their friends,” says Bach, the international program coordinator. “There is a lot of cheering and joy in watching this event. The entertainment is wonderful.”

At the fashion show, students come dressed for success in modern day attire. Others walk along runways wearing more traditional garb of their native lands.

There’s always something a little different for audiences at the International Festival. A few years ago, MC table tennis players from China put on a dazzling exhibition. They swatted table tennis balls across a net atop a piano while a student performed musical selections on all 88 keys. Audiences applauded as they watched this fast-paced Olympic sport in a unique setting.

As for the food served on tables in the Nelson Hall lobby following the show, it doesn’t stay around very long.

“It is always all gone by the end of the night,” Bach says.

Office of Global Education Director Mei-Chi Piletz and her colleagues are anxious to see the show next month. Bruce Ma, the office’s student worker, will be among the featured acts on stage. He will play piano at the 2016 festival.

Proceeds from the event will boost scholarships for MC international students. Ticket prices vary. Pre-event, tickets cost $3 for students, $5 for faculty and staff, and $10 for the public. At the door, tickets cost an extra $2 for students, faculty and staff. The price will be $15 for the public. Admission is free for children under the age of ten.

For more information, contact Christina Bach at 601-925-7762 or cbach@mc.edu