As if Kansas State’s Week of Welcome couldn’t get any better, the International Block Party will be a great way to end the back-to-school festivities. The event will take place from 7-10 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Bosco Plaza and will serve to welcome students from all over the world.
Audrey Taggart-Kagdis, the Director of Marketing and Student Programs for the Kansas State Union, along with a team of dedicated staff, put in the work for this year’s celebration.
“This is an event that has been going on several years as a partnership between the Union Program Council [and] the Alumni Association,” Taggart-Kagdis said. “We begin planning over the summer and it’s just a great way for us to welcome our students from all over the world to K-State.”
Year after year, these two organizations strive to make the International Block Party special for the student body. However, because of past restrictions, the event has seen serious setbacks.
“It’s pretty consistent that we continue to bring a great experience to our students,” Taggart-Kagdis said. “The difference is, this year, there aren’t campus limitations on the number of folks that we can have and mask mandates.”
The university’s Week of Welcome has ended with the International Block Party for several years now. Brandon Moreno, Assistant Director of Alumni and Diversity Programs for the Kansas State Alumni Association, believes that it is essential to welcome students from different backgrounds and make them feel at home.
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“The International Block Party is basically an event that we love putting on because it allows students to just come onto campus and feel welcome and safe with their identities,” Moreno said. “I see a lot of events that are hosted by students and we wanted an event that we set up for the students.”
Anyone is welcome, and students are encouraged to attend whether they come from out of the country or not. Along with it being free and fun, Moreno wants students to know that the International Block Party could be a great way to learn about other people.
“I’m excited because you get to be exposed to different cultures at this event,” Moreno said. “We’ll have different music from around the globe that you usually don’t hear on the radio.”
The event will also include yard games and food trucks that are halal-friendly and always a hit with students. Flags from different countries will be on display, along with a world map showing where students are from.
“This event is welcoming to all — both international and domestic students,” Moreno said. “This is just the beginning of a wonderful experience on campus.”
