photograph by Lisa Ventre

Beauty, pageantry and rhythm were all a part of "A Taste of India," the concluding event for UC's weeklong Worldfest celebration in the spring of 2009. These young classical dancers performed India's national dance, BharataNatyam, at Tangeman University Center, where Indian music, arts, yoga, food, fortune-telling and other customs were shared.

This year, Worldfest's focus on economic justice included a free film series featuring the Academy Award-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," a 10-hour fast to raise hunger awareness, a lecture on human rights by political activist/journalist Rosa Alicia Clemente and a falafel-eating contest to support the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Worldfest is a Just Community initiative, sponsored by 17 different UC offices and organizations, including Raymond Walters College, which hosted a full schedule of events. Among them were a peace conference, a diversity fair and a Hispanic-culture exhibition.

UC has more than 20 ethnic student organizations and 830 students who studied abroad in 50 countries last year. The International Student Barometer, the world's largest survey of international college students, ranked UC fourth out of 84 institutions as the best choice for an education.

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