Around the World in One Afternoon: Bulldogs Celebrate Global Community at World Day

The DeSales community gathered for a vibrant festival of culture, community, and global connections at this year’s World Day.

The event transformed the Dorothy Day Student Union into an international hub, featuring cultural displays, global trivia, a henna artist, and other opportunities to experience traditions from around the world. A number of student organizations took part, including the Black Student Union, the Asian Culture Club, and the Middle Eastern Student Association.

“We tried to expand the event to make it a celebration of our global community,” said Naila Amana ’26, a finance and accounting major who played a key role in planning the festivities. “We have people talking about the role of storytelling and openly sharing culture, like our halftime show where the Association for Latinx and Ally Students led a beginners Bachata dance tutorial.”

Throughout the event, attendees sampled a variety of international cuisines. From Kenyan mandazi, Filipino lumpias, Iranian cookies, and more, the flavors reflected the diverse backgrounds of the University community.

“World Day gives you a nice overview of other cultures,” said Samuel Gambell ’27, a homeland security major and ROTC student who helped serve the food. “Here you get different perspectives of food, and over there you can learn about other countries or see SVA’s pinboard.”

The Student Veteran Association’s pinboard was a virtual world map with dots representing where current students and alumni were born, deployed to, or have served. It invited the community to reflect on the unique cultural perspectives of our veterans, while also fostering a bond among those with similar backgrounds.

With its immersive experiences and opportunities for connection, World Day once again showcased the University community’s commitment to hospitality, bringing the world a little closer to home.