Mohawk Valley Community College will host a series of international events throughout the Spring 2026 semester, providing opportunities for the community to learn about various cultures. All events are free and open to the public.
- International Café & Conversation: Beyond the Test Scores: A Personal Look at China’s Education and Culture — 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11; Wilcox Hall room 225, MVCC Utica Campus. Through storytelling, MVCC Instructor Yue Riesbeck will share her experience growing up in China and how education, family, and culture shaped who she is today. The event will briefly contrast these elements with American perspectives to support cross-cultural empathy and communication.
- International Café & Conversation: MVCC’s International Students — 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25; Wilcox Hall room 225, MVCC Utica Campus. Students who came to MVCC from around the world will share stories of their countries and presentations on their unique cultures.
- Performance: Arabic Drumming — 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, Alumni College Center 116, MVCC Utica Campus. Experience the captivating rhythms of the tabla in this Arabic drum performance with Michael Paratore, where ancient traditions of the sinek come alive through powerful beats and expressive movement. The audience becomes part of the energy, joining in lively moments of rhythm, dance, and connection.
- Mandala of Compassion — Monday-Thursday, April 13-16, from 9-11 a.m. and 1:30-4 p.m., Payne Hall Library, MVCC Utica Campus. Over four days, the Venerable Tenzin Yignyen, Professor of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Hobart William Smith Colleges and ordained by the Dalai Lama, will use colored sand to carefully create the mandala, a symbolic cosmic design representing the dwelling place of a deity and reflecting the Buddhist teaching of impermanence. He will then dismantle the mandala on Friday, April 17, during a ceremony that starts at 10 a.m. in the Library and continues to a nearby creek just a short walk away from campus.
For more information, contact the MVCC Events Office at 315-731-5721 or email boxoffice@mvcc.edu.