By Adam Donnelly

TRU embracing all cultures as part of iDays celebration

Mar 13, 2019 | 4:52 PM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University is truly a hub for multiculturalism in our community. With more than 3,000 international students hailing from 90 different countries, TRU is weaving the multicultural fabric of our community.

This week, the institution is embracing those multitudes of cultures represented there during their annual iDays celebration. They’re hoping to attract members of the Kamloops community, by sharing that there’s something for almost everyone at iDays.

“iDays actually stands for intercultural,” Assistant VP International at TRU Baihua Chadwick explained. “That includes internationalization, Indigenization, and really I, we, us… however you want to interpret it.”

iDays is an opportunity for students, both from abroad and here in Canada, to share their cultural traditions. TRU is working to highlight the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as part of the iDays mandate.

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This year Indigenization is the UN SDG TRU has chosen to focus on, so they brought in acclaimed Indigenous chef and author David Wolfman for a couple of events.

‘We’re all part of the bigger picture, and this is just one section,” Chef Wolfman explained. “I think we have a lot of common things — today, for example, we were talking about sustainability and sustaining the earth. In other words, looking after our food, looking after our community, looking after some of the lessons we’ve been taught. Each culture has different lessons.”

Along with his talk to community members, Wolfman is working with TRU Culinary arts to host a sold-out dinner party Thursday night on Campus, which is one of the dozens of events being held on campus.

“Tonight (Wednesday, March 13th) we have a very special show,” Chadwick told CFJC Today. “We have an Indigenous performing artist from Mexico to perform a world-famous Indigenous story called “The Hummingbird.” That’s tonight at 7:00 pm at the House of Learning.”

Chadwick is hoping the broader Kamloops community will take in.

“We’d love to have more people, particularly the community members to come join us for an evening,” Chadwick said.

For the full schedule of iDays events, you can check tru.ca/internationaldays