Many cultures were represented Tuesday night during the Multicultural Affairs Annual Welcome Reception at UW-Superior, where more than 60 faculty, staff and students filled the Multicultural Center in Old Main.

The reception started with dinner, and later on included lively conversation, group games and prizes.

“This event has been going on for 14 years,” said Multicultural Student Services Specialist Ivy Vainio, who organized the reception. "It gets better every year.”

The Multicultural Center in Old Main is the perfect place to hold this event, as it is dedicated to showing the many nationalities represented on the UWS campus. Art work, clothing and books from Asian, African, Hispanic and Native American communities, among others, are displayed all over the room. Pratima Acharya, who just started her first semester at UWS, says she is glad to be meeting new people and making friends.

"I know very few [people], but I've met several already tonight," Acharya said. "I would definitely come again.”

Chip Beal, Multicultural Diversity Coordinator, was glad to attend the event and see so many people of different nationalities there. “This is a meet and greet,” Beal told the group. “Walk around and talk to people you don't know.”

So that is just what they did, shaking hands and exchanging names with other students, and meeting the faculty who attended. Amarachi Okorigbo, who is in her third semester at UWS, attended the Multicultural Welcome for the third time on Tuesday.

“My first year I went to everything [to try and meet new people]," Okorigbo said. "My second year coming to the welcome reception, I wanted to meet more international students. And this year I came because it's a great place to hang out.”

Multicultural Affairs also holds an annual welcome reception early in the spring semester.