Maria Kabalyk, a 2007 fellow from Russia, studies economics at Oregon State University. Last October, Maria was elected President of the university’s European Student Association and she took charge of organizing the Association’s 15th annual “European Night”. The theme of the evening was Breaking the Walls, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The formal event featured a five-course meal with different European cuisines, and international students provided a variety of entertainment, including waltzes and tangos, rhythmic gymnastics, traditional European songs, and instrumental performances. The evening was a chance to experience the rich culture from across Europe, and, as Maria notes, “share our perspectives and traditions with others so that we may educate, entertain, and break the walls of misconception and separation between diverse groups.”
