International Festival Spotlights MC Students Around the Globe

Mississippi College Office of Global Education staff members Ken Qiu and his wife, Sabrena. Qiu is coach of the nationally ranked MC table tennis team. Both Ken and Sabrena are natives of China who have been featured at MC's International Festival over the years.

Abby Li, a Mississippi College student from China, will play the accordion. MC junior Arun Khurana of India will sing traditional songs from his country. South Korean students will perform K-Pop, a Korean dance.

They are among the Mississippi College students booked to show off their talents at the Christian university’s sixth annual International Festival on April 5. The event at Swor Auditorium on the Clinton campus runs from 7-9 p.m. that Friday evening, and the public is invited.

Students from China, India, South Korea and other lands around the world always bring a unique cultural background to the MC campus. More than 200 international students from 20 nations presently attend the Christian university.

The Mississippi College Office of Global Education is sponsoring the program and its leaders are encouraging faculty, staff, students, alumni and metro Jackson residents to attend the festivities.

Performances will include instrumental, vocal and dance exhibitions. One of the night’s many highlights will be a runway show spotlighting students wearing the traditional attire of their native lands. The fashion show is a big hit every year.

Following the program, the audience will be invited to a reception in the Nelson Hall lobby to sample delicious international foods.

Tickets at the door cost $5 for students and $7 for faculty, staff and the public. The pre-event price is $3 for students and $5 for faculty, staff and guests.

The festival affords the campus a “fine opportunity to see some of the rich diversity of cultures that exist in the world and at MC,” says President Lee Royce. He and his wife, Rhoda, join members of the Mississippi College family applauding the International Festival performances year after year.

Members of MC’s nationally ranked table tennis team, all students from China, are expected to be recognized at the event. In mid-April, the squad travels to Rockford, Illinois to compete in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association’s championship games. Ranked No. 2 in North America last season, the team is coached by Ken Qiu, an Office of Global Education staff member.

For more information, contact Brittany Jo Perrotta, a student life assistant for the Office of Global Education, at perrotta@mc.edu.