Students new and old gathered on the Peace Quad Sunday for food, dancing and giveaways as the Student Association (SA) hosted its fourth annual International Fest.

Student organizations tabled with activities and there were performances from the BU Gospel Choir, the X-Fact’r step team and the BU Japanese Association, as well as catering provided by Thai Time, Taj Tandoor Restaurant and Buffet Star.

Students who attended could go from table to table to learn about the various student organizations and participate in activities. Some examples included an Italian ice machine by the Caribbean Student Association, a tie-dye shirt station by the Rainbow Pride Union and tap dancing lessons by X-Fact’r.

Nayemai-Isis McIntosh, the SA’s vice president for multicultural affairs and a junior double-majoring in human development and theater, organized the event. Last year, International Fest was on the same day as Spring Fling, but she said that because it was its own event this year, they were able to expand it and get more student groups to participate and showcase their different cultures.

“One thing that we really encouraged was to get a wide range of student organizations,” McIntosh said. “This whole day is about expression, through music, through performances, through tabling.”

McIntosh said that it was important to display different cultures and to show all the different types of organizations present on campus.

“International Fest aims to showcase not only our multicultural and LGBTQ, as well as other student organizations, but highlights their cultures and different places they identify from just to show other students that we are present,” McIntosh said.

Betty Li, president of the Chinese American Student Union, tabled at the event. She said that because it was also the University’s admitted students day, her club was able to reach out to prospective families as well as current students.

“We had a lot of foot traffic from the potential incoming students; they were really interested in learning all about us,” said Li, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “It was a good turnout. That definitely worked in both our favor to showcase ourselves and also to attract the students and their parents [to show] that there are so many clubs like this for them.”