The third annual “Trip Around the World” event was held in the Terrace Room on April 8.

Hosted by the International Student Services (ISS), the reception featured table-style booths from 16 different countries as well as two for the United States, where attendees could learn to write or speak in the native language or sample international cuisine.

Upon entering, each individual was given a “passport” pamphlet and received a sticker for each country’s table visited, in the hope that it would inspire students to learn about other cultures or share personal experiences.

“The intention of the event is to share cultures and experiences from across the world. Students can represent their own country or a country where they’ve lived or studied abroad. The idea is that attendees can learn a little about what life is like there … through sampling the food, talking with the ‘ambassador’ about politics, misconceptions and more,” Director of ISS Jennifer Figueroa said.

Figueroa said that any student who volunteered to host a country was eligible to represent and all were welcome. The event was mainly about celebrating difference and embracing different cultures. The theme seemed to be grasped by all, as everyone seemed to be in smiles while learning bits of Russian or trying to write in Tibetan script.

“It is surprising to a lot of people to see so many cultures on campus. It is wonderful to have an event where we can all come together and people can learn,” one representative for Brazil, Joyce Medeiros ’14, said.