International Week at Iowa State is underway with its celebration of all things dance, food, games and recognition of many different cultures.

Put on by the International Student Council, an umbrella organization which represents the over 4,000 international students at Iowa State, the week is an attempt to bridge the gap between those unfamiliar with international cultures and international students.

“The reason why we celebrate the International Student Council is because we want to create awareness among the Ames community. Basically we are trying to bring them and the international community together,” said Mohammad Rashid, senior in aerospace engineering and publicity director of the council.

International Food Night on Tuesday was the kickoff event for the week. It pulled in around 500 participants and guests across 12 different international clubs. Some of these clubs included the Association of Malaysian Students, the Vietnamese Student Association and the Pakistan Student Association.

“A highlight of the night was us announcing the best food of the night, and there were prizes given out. First prize was for the Pakistan Student Association’s dish chicken karahi,” Rashid said.

Friday is dance night at the Memorial Union, an event where the International Student Council promises to donate $1 for every attendee to charity in order to help Syrian refugees. There will be Indian Garba dances as well as traditional dance lessons for any student who wants to learn.

The council will host an international bazaar Monday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. There will be a gathering of various international groups representing their nations, cultures and practices through booths.

The week will round off with game night Wednesday. The event was added this year so students could gather to play games from Vietnamese and Indonesian cultures. The formal International Night is next Thursday in the Great Hall from 6 to 10 p.m.

“International Night will be in the Great Hall and free for everyone. We have different student organizations participate in performances and a fashion show. Also, for the first time, the ISC organizers will be doing a special secret performance for the audience,” Rashid said.

During international night, the International Student Council will be giving out various scholarships through the International Students and Scholars Office, and a dinner will be served at the end of the event.

“With this event, we are trying to showcase the uniqueness of different cultures. We are having traditional dances and traditional games,” said Ras Atiqah, senior in economics and president of the council. ”I’ve been with [the council] for two years, this is my third year, and I believe that this event is very different from the past years. It’s bringing new and fresh ideas to this year’s International Week.”