The Hilton Orrington Hotel’s Grand Ballroom was filled with about 100 Northwestern international students, American-born students and NU-Q exchange students Friday.
The International Student Association held its second annual formal, aptly named “Alors on danse,” French for “so we dance.” Guests were encouraged to wear cultural clothes from other countries, and many came dressed in a range of customary ensembles, from traditional Indian saris to Chinese qipaos.
McCormick freshman Shaina Moreh said some of her international friends brought her to the formal. The event was fun for students not involved in ISA as well, she said.
“I really liked the venue,” she said. “The room was brilliant and the food was also delicious.”
Guests had a three-course candlelit dinner in the ballroom under crystal chandeliers while Weinberg sophomore John Kang and Weinberg junior Jay Dalal provided music for the formal.
After dinner, many danced to party music until 1 a.m., though some students, such as McCormick freshman Mel Gallegos, said they hope there will be more international music at the next formal.
ISA president SungHwan Park, a McCormick junior, said he was very proud of social committee chairs Karam Chadha, a McCormick sophomore, and Neha Choudhary, a Weinberg sophomore, who began planning the event in December and settled on the venue in January. The hotel was an appropriate location for the formal because of its close proximity to NU, Park said.
Communication sophomore David Corlew said he enjoyed spending time with international students during an Alternative Student Break and attended the formal to meet more.
The formal is one opportunity for the entire international community at NU, including American students, to get together and share their cultures, Chadha said. The event was a positive experience for many of the guests, international or American, he said.
“I am delighted that the crowd enjoyed their food, as everyone’s (plates) were scraped clean,” he said. “I was also extremely glad to see people of all ethnic backgrounds in their traditional clothes. The Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, French and Estonians were among the many nations well-represented.”
