Knox College’s International Fair 2025, themed “Around the World in 7 Days,” brought students, faculty, and community members together for a celebration of cultural diversity and global exchange from January 27 - February 1, 2025. Throughout the week, attendees took part in an immersive journey through global traditions, engaging in conversations about cultural identity while embracing international representation throughout campus.

Director of International Student Services Alex Pia felt great anticipation among international students leading up to the weeklong event, with many eager to share their traditions and engage in cross-cultural discussions. With a record number of international students in the first-year class, Pia emphasizes that this year’s event placed a focus on creating a space where students could proudly represent their heritage. 

“The International Club (I-Club) executive team worked tirelessly to ensure the event’s success. They dedicated many hours to organizing an unforgettable experience for all participants,” Pia added.

The hard work paid off, as Pia also shared that this year’s I-Fair saw one of the event’s highest participation levels in its history, with 95 students in the cultural showcase and 48 flags represented in the flag parade. Participants also enjoyed the traditional dress showcase, booth fair, cultural trivia, and food fair throughout the week. 

“It was exciting to see increased student involvement, with more cultures represented and a strong turnout from first-years,” I-Club co-president Anokhi Molligoda ’25 shared.

“I-Fair this year was really well received and had a variety of cultures and countries represented,” I-Club co-president Nicole Yang Ruby ’26 added. “Both cultural clubs and individual students were involved in the process, which was exciting to see.”

Students participating in events across campus shared their thoughts on this year’s International Fair:

“This is my first time taking part in the I-Fair. The most exciting thing for me was carrying Ghana's flag during the event. It felt really special because my friends clapped for me as I was walking down the aisle, and I got to experience other cultures as well. The fact that Knox hosts such inclusive events was one of the reasons I chose to come here. I’d heard about it before, and I was excited to see it through my own eyes. It’s a perfect opportunity to showcase traditions from around the world.” -Enoch Tioluwani Olubunmi ’28

“I’m excited to perform because we put in a lot of effort—doing midnight practices and hours of work. No matter how our dance ends up, we have fun. I am also excited to serve food. We are making street-style Indian chaat. We want to make sure everyone experiences the culture because a lot of people are used to having butter chicken and chicken tikka masala.” -Ashel Dsouza ’27

“This is my first time attending the I-Fair. I think my favorite moment was having the opportunity to dress up in our national costumes and take photos with people from other countries with their national costumes. It's so great. The flag parade gave me goosebumps.” -Ngoc Ma ’28

“Knox hosting this event is one of the reasons I look forward to the winter term. It’s such a fun and meaningful tradition, and I appreciate how it brings people together to celebrate all the diverse cultures that are part of the College.” -Meher Khan ’26

I-Fair 2025 once again exemplified and reinforced the importance of global community and cultural exchange at Knox. The energy and passion for this year’s event set a high standard for future celebrations, ensuring that the College remains a place where every culture is honored and celebrated.