Highline College’s annual Global Fest was held May 26 and as usual, was a hit. The event exists for students to showcase and celebrate their culture and have it be honored in return. Global fest covers the entire first floor of Building 8 with informational stands about different countries, homemade delicious food, and live entertainment.

The first stand was a tri-fold about the South American country Venezuela. “You may have heard about it in the news recently,” Valeria Requena, a student at Highline said. “It made headlines when the President was arrested by the U.S.”

However, Venezuela is far more than its political news — as any country is. It’s a culturally rich country with unique traditions and food.

This stand featured delicious homemade food in the form of tequeños. A taqueño is a popular Venezuelan snack consisting of a stick of white cheese wrapped in dough and deep-fried until golden and crispy, often served as an appetizer or party food with a dipping sauce like guasacaca.

Another stand that was quite a hit was one talking about the East Asian country of Uzbekistan. Joey Martiny was representing this one and presented it in a very engaging manner. The tri-fold was very colorful and attractive to people walking by, a large crowd having built up around it.

Between observing different stands, students were able to watch a traditional Ha’api’i dance. Ha’api’i is a Tahitian word often meaning “to learn”. In the context of dance, it could be used to mean teaching through dance. Dance in many ways is an oral tradition used to tell stories.

Overall, the event was a very fascinating glance into so many different cultures that make up this  diverse campus and an incredible way to both connect with peers and show off one’s self culture.