A student emcee opens the 82nd Intercultural Food & Talent Extravaganza in the Occhiato Student Center on April 3. The Colorado International Students Association has organized the event every spring for 82 years, making it the longest-running student event on campus. This year’s theme, “Bringing the World to CSUP 2026,” drew students from across the globe to share food, performance, and culture with the wider university community.

Students constructed poster boards showcasing their home countries, covering maps, national holidays, traditional sports, and cuisine. Yelena Travica’s display (left) featured poutine, maple syrup, and the Manitoba provincial flag. Across the floor, a CISA representative (right) stood before a display documenting the organization’s role in supporting international students throughout their time at CSU Pueblo.

A performer presents traditional Caribbean dance during the evening’s talent showcase. Students sang, played instruments, recited original poetry, and danced throughout the program. This performer’s skirt swept the floor in full, wide circles as the audience went still in that way that means something has landed. International student advisor Lilia Myers Van Pelt keeps the door open to anyone who wants to take part. “I invite anyone who is willing to participate to perform,” she told SoCo Student Media’s Trevor Vigil.

The China display (left) walked visitors through the history of the Silk Road, with hand-drawn illustrations, traditional decorative items, and bilingual labels teaching guests basic Mandarin. The word for “friend” was written large near the front. At the Poland table (right), a student talked visitors through cuisine and landmarks, handing out Prince Polo chocolate bars and pointing to photographs. Conversations stretched long at most tables. Students leaned in, offering something of themselves to anyone who stopped.