VISA President Edward Bourelly said about 500 people attended the event, and he is confident the week's activities will have large turnouts as well. Bourelly said he expects a good turnout because of the growing number of groups under VISA and the increasing number of UF students interested in learning about other cultures. He said the week will be entertaining while also serving as an important educational function. We need to appreciate other cultures, and the only way we can do this is to learn about them. Today at noon a parade of nations will travel from Turlington Plaza to the Reitz Union North Lawn, displaying banners, flags and the dress and costumes of various cultures.
Clubs show ceremonial dress or even everyday wear.
This colorful caravan will be followed by a display of international organizations at 3 p.m. at the Union for students to visit and learn about activities and clubs they can get involved with. Other activities in the Union include the Miss VISA Pageant in the Rion Ballroom at 7 p.m. Wednesday. A lecture on United States-Japanese relations and a Pakistani slide show will take place Thursday. Immigration and Affirmative Action directly affect all students under VISA and a lot of minorities, too. Though the debate is expected to be the largest draw of the week, an international soccer tournament on Saturday should also attract a big crowd, Bourelly said.