By Daniel Salas

Special to The Collegian

On a chilly and overcast Tuesday afternoon, a DJ played some music in the pit outside the University Student Union to set the mood for a few performers. The performers, including members of the Malaysian Student Organization, performed the “Chinese Lion Dance,” featuring drummers and two members in a golden-colored lion costume.

Fresno State is one of many colleges taking part in this week’s International Education Week, said Shawna Blair, program and event coordinator at University Student Union Productions.

At noon every day through Thursday, 11 different cultural groups will perform live at the USU pit: three on Tuesday and Wednesday and five on Thursday, Blair said. She said eight of these groups are on-campus clubs.

During the performances, tables will be set up in the Free Speech Area by different groups; including study abroad programs and other international programs on campus.

Along with the opportunity for students to walk up and talk to representatives from these groups, Blair said the live cultural performances are another way for students to share and represent the variety of cultures on campus.

“We have a lot of different cultures here at Fresno State, so we love when we get to embrace them and show them off to the campus,” Blair said. “A lot of times, it’s just what we learn in books in our classes, so it’s always fun to see something that might be a dance or seeing someone perform a song in a language of another culture.”

Cora Cha, an event coordinator in the celebrations and festivals committee at USU Productions, said some of this week’s performances include Egyptian belly dancing and poetry readings.

“It’s just going to be like a big mixture of everything,” Cha said.

Blair said USU Productions helped plan International Education Week. Other groups include the division of continuing and global education, international student services and programs and study abroad and international exchanges.

She said the groups wanted to have live cultural performances, and that is what USU Productions delivered. Blair said students can come see the performances and afterward walk up to the Free Speech Area and learn about different international programs.

“[The performances] connect to what they have up there,” she said.

Scheduled for Wednesday’s performances are the Jewish Studies Association, the Hmong Student Association and Leonnart Cullberg, a German accordion player, Blair said.

“It’s just a fun way for students to see something new about a culture that they might not have known,” Blair said.