Contact: Nicol Tinsley
VCU Global Education Office
Phone: (804) 828-6463
nctinsley@vcu.edu
global.vcu.edu

RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 29, 2020) ― Last month, VCU students participated in the first-ever VCU Globe Showcase. The day-long event highlighted a variety of presentations that included poster displays, student art exhibits and performances.

The event featured a rotation of categories, including:

• Dialoguing Through Posters: VCU Globe students presented posters on topics including "Effects of E-Cigarettes," by Mohammed AlAwadh; the "Persian Club at VCU," by Mana Soroush; and "Binary/Computer Science," by Monae Frazier.
  
  
• Conversation with the Artist: This category featured the painting talents of Jakia Hamilton, as well as Natalya Evans, who presented on fashion design.
  
  
• Performances: Singing by the South-Asian Acapella Arabhi Club and soloist Cvana Clarkson highlighted this category. During student Charles Pauley"s "World Instruments" presentation, visitors learned about the origins of instruments from around the world, followed by demonstrations of the instruments and the opportunity to play them at the end of the presentation.

“This program was designed to offer Globe students a place to connect during the end of the semester busyness,” said Audrey Short, VCU Globe's interim assistant director of academic programming. "Students reported feeling stressed, and the idea was to help with some alleviation of their stress through community building."

Food and games were among the attractions that rounded out the event. An onigiri (Japanese rice ball) station was available for students to create DIY onigiri, in addition to multiple games such as Kendama and Tokaido.

The event was combined with the final Global Café of the semester, a monthly event that allows the VCU international community, students and community members to connect with each other while learning about a new culture through food and activities. The Café featured Nigerian food prepared by students Olatomide Adebo and Goodness Nwabueze and shared during the event.