Global Union to host 30th International Bazaar amid busy weekend

If there’s one thing Clara Buie will be missing during the weekend of April 22, it’s free time.

Between Lehigh’s 30th International Bazaar, the Holi Festival, Earth Day and the 20th anniversary of the Global Union, the director of GU is in for a few busy days.

Lehigh’s International Bazaar celebrates the many cultures and nations that are represented at Lehigh. Through both cultural items that are sold and performances from students, the bazaar highlights what Buie calls “all the diversity that is Lehigh’s campus.”

Buie said despite President Donald Trump’s policy changes, Lehigh’s global-focused events will not directly address any developments in the U.S. government.

“The events are not directly aimed at the political climate but at showing the strengths of the community,” Buie said.

While the International Bazaar hasn’t been changed because of policy changes, Jen Topp, the program director of global engagement for the department of international affairs, said she has seen a lot of people step up to help with this year’s events.

Since the enactment of Trump’s first executive order, Lehigh has seen more than 55 students and their families be affected by the ban. Iranian and Iraqi Lehigh students, representing cultures impacted by the ban, will be present at the bazaar.

While the bazaar itself doesn’t directly talk about the executive order, the department of international affairs has held events that did so in the past, including a rally held earlier in the semester. The department also reached out to those directly affected by the ban.

Both the anniversary and the bazaar exist to celebrate Lehigh’s international students and their families. Laura Dean, a graduate assistant for the department of international affairs, said the events are especially relevant to Lehigh’s international community.

“Now’s the time to support them more than ever,” Dean said.

One of the first events of the weekend is Holi, which will occur April 22 with a rain date of April 29. Shirts designed to be colored during the festival are available to order. Holi is free, open to the public and boasts 800 pounds of color ordered in five different shades.

Known as the festival of colors, Holi is celebrated with a large color fight involving dry color and dyed water-filled balloons thrown at friends and other festival goers. The festival celebrates the coming of spring and the triumph of good over evil.

Preom Sarkar, ’18, the president of the Indian Student Association, said Holi hasn’t changed despite the executive orders, saying the celebration has an apolitical nature.

“I’m generally low-key worried myself,” Sarkar said, “but we’re a social club, not trying to focus on politics. We have people on the left, right and international students.”

Starting with a dinner and reception after Holi, the Global Union’s 20^th anniversary serves to celebrate Lehigh’s international community. Buie described the dinner as a “kickoff to the year of celebration.” The Global Union’s anniversary celebrations start April 22 but will continue next fall.

Alumni who were members of the executive board of the Global Union will be visiting for the kickoff reception April 22. Buie said the bazaar usually sees a large turnout from alumni and lets them see how much things have evolved since they attended Lehigh.

Both Topp and Buie said the International Bazaar and Global Union’s celebrations aren’t just for Lehigh’s international community, but for all of Lehigh and the South Bethlehem community.

“(The bazaar) draws in the Bethlehem community as well,” Topp said. “I attended the bazaar myself before I even worked for Lehigh.”

Topp said the bazaar isn’t just for international students. She said it helps display the wide variety of international culture represented on campus.

“It’s for the community to come out, support and celebrate,” Buie said. “The students are so proud of their cultures, and it’s great to see the community come out and support them.”