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Freshmen Sum Yu and Toby Pang are both international students who came to Syracuse University from China. While neither knew anyone on campus, they were able to form a connection through music: Pang on his guitar and Yu with his voice.

“When I was checking my equipment, I met Sum,” Pang said. “He has a super cool guitar box; he has a massive Fender, which is crazy.”

On Monday night, the Goldstein Auditorium was filled with students from all across the world for the International Talent Show, a showcase for both domestic and international students at SU to show off their skills in front of a crowd of their peers. Many of the performers participated in the talent show with the intention of making new friends, and many ended the night with success.

The majority of performers were freshmen, having just arrived on campus, with a few second-year students mixed in. Yu was the first performer, singing “No Surprises” by Radiohead and was accompanied by his own electric guitar. Pang, along with another friend of Yu’s, got the crowd to wave their phone’s flashlight back and forth in the air.

After Yu’s performance, Samayee Gupte, a freshman from India, brought the house down by belting “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. The final musical performer, Alef Liu, played the medium ruan, a Chinese string instrument.

Maxine Brackbill | Photo Editor

Sahana Anand performs an upbeat Indian semi-classical dance. The intention of the event is to make a more comprehensive international student orientation and help create community among students. Maxine Brackbill | Photo Editor

As the night’s only two dancers, both sophomore Sahana Anand and freshman Meghavarshini Iska captivated the audience. Anand, who is from India, performed a fast-paced Indian semi-classical dance. Iska, an international student from Zambia, showcased the Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance.

“I love to perform, (it’s) kind of an outlet and my friends had been asking me to do something because they want to come and watch,” Anand said.

Another goal of the international talent show was to get domestic students involved with international activities on campus. While many events put on by the Center for International Services as part of International Student Orientation are open to all students, there is still a struggle to get domestic students involved.

Adya Parida, a junior from India studying computer science, and other students in attendance said it is important to have domestic students involved in events like the talent show.

“It’s a great opportunity for all people because you don’t really get to see or talk … to a lot of other people in different countries,” said Parida, “but at the university, you get that resource.”

Published on August 23, 2023 at 10:11 pm