YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University celebrated its second annual International Festival Friday evening.

University exchange students of various cultures gathered to dance, eat and celebrate their cultures.

Among the students was Prahlad Regmi, a sophomore computer science major from Nepal.

“I like it (the festival) because I can meet a lot of people from a lot of countries,” he said. “It’s a very interesting event.”

Abekshya Bokhrel, a sophomore accounting major, said she also is from Nepal.

“It (the festival) lets us reflect our culture,” she said. “It helps to represent my country.”

Than Truong, a sophomore computer science major, said his favorite thing about the Festival was the performance.

“I found it (the festival) interesting so I wanted to join and see (what it’s like),” he said.

Truong said he is from Vietnam.

Anshu Shrestha, another student from Nepal, said she is a freshman and a physics major.

“We are proud to be in our cultural dresses,” she said. “I’m having fun. It feels like I’m in Nepal.”

Batool Alkarain, president of the International Student Organization, organized the first International Festival last year alongside other members of the International Student Organization.

Alkarain said she was born in Palestine then moved to Jordan, located in West Asia, which is her current home. She is also a junior at the university.

“My major is in international business and I’m really into international culture and I’m alway passionate to learn about different cultures and different beliefs,” she said. “So, being here at this event means a lot to me because it’s given me a chance to share my tradition and also learn from other people (about) their traditions.”

Nicholas BuBos, the adviser for the International Student Organization, said the festival gives students “a sense of pride.”

“The international students, they’re very proud of where they come from,” he said. “They really love talking about their country and showcasing it (in) performance or dance or a fashion show and that’s the goal.”

Communications professor Jeffrey Tyus, a member of the International Institute of Youngstown, helped provide some funding for the festival.

Tyus said he teaches intercultural communication to YSU students.

“One of the main reasons why I started looking for grants for international students is because research was showing international students come to America excited about the possibility of interacting with American students, and yet too often when they actually arrive, they don’t,” he said. “So, I wanted to come up with events like this and welcome them in a way (by) getting all the international students interacting with one another but also encouraging Americans to welcome our students because that’s a major part of their experience coming here.”