It was just a small taste of the world, but the opening event of International Festival ’98 left everyone’s mouth tingling.

Dancing to a traditional folk dance and displaying a shortened version of a wedding ceremony, SIUC’s Indian Student Association showed some of the beauty of their culture with eye-catching glitter and jingling sounds

The African Student Association brought the vibrancy of Africa using strong beats, native drums, and gracefully energetic dance. The group’s songs and dance styles combined traditions from various African countries.

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Saturday night, these and other student groups showcased some upcoming events of International Festival 98 while presenting SIUC’s different cultures at A Taste of the World. The event was sponsored by the International Student Council and took place at the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave.

More than 500 people attended the taste, engaging on a trip around the world through experiencing the vast cultures of SIUC students. The event was meant to thank SIUC and the Carbondale community for 50 years of supporting international students.

International Student Council President Wan Kamal Wan Napi, said he was pleased with the large response to the event.

We needed to promote the international student community. he said. We are happy here, and that’s why we wanted to show off our cultures.

A Taste of the World featured performances by eight of the 102 countries represented on campus as well as food from the Middle East and Asia.

ISC also was able to honor several people who have supported international students in past years, including Carla Coppi, assistant director of International Students and Scholars; John Jackson, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs and provost, and Chancellor Donald Beggs.

Beggs believed A Taste of the World demonstrated the importance of SIUC’s diverse community.

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This is a perfect example of why a university and community is diverse by having the many cultures that we have here tonight, he said. We saw talent, hard work and planning that clearly demonstrated the differences that make each culture something special.

Each featured student organization brought something special to the event.

The Japanese Student Association sang five traditional songs. One song, Ue-O-Muite-Arukou, translated as Let’s walk looking up at the sky, had the audience clapping along.

The Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. displayed its African- American roots through stepping, making dance beats with their hands and feet.

The Turkish Student Association reenacted the typical day in a kahvehane, or Turkish coffee house, and danced in costumes from several different regions in Turkey. The typical day in Turkey is full of dancing and playing tavla, also known as backgammon.

Bringing violins onto stage, the Latin American Student Association, played mellow sounds containing the love, joy and desire of Latin American music.

The Malaysian Student Association told a traditional story, Ulik Mayang to the audience. The dance was performed to recreate the story of a prince who had fallen in a coma.

To commemorate the beginning of the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, the Hellenic Student Association recalled the first Olympic games in Greece. It also presented a traditional dance called Syrtaki.

The night left everyone with a tangy taste on their tongues, including Aashish Lakhani, a freshman in computer science from Kenya. He was glowing with enthusiasm after he was able to give a taste of his country to the audience.

The public loved it, he said. It was made for them. We were able to show what it is like to be in our country.

ISC was able to bring all of their different countries to one stage and have a spectacular performance.

We had over 200 people working together to put this event together, Wan Napi said. We all cooperated and put a lot of time into this. This is only the beginning of the International Festival, there’s more like this to come.