Ditch the expensive airfare and hotel fees. An annual Ohio State event happening this week is allowing students to travel the world without leaving campus.  

Taste of OSU is coming to the Ohio Union Friday, when more than 50 international and ethnic student organizations on campus will showcase their diversity through food, performances and booth displays, according to the website of the Office of International Affairs, which puts on the event. Entry to the event is free and food sampling tickets cost $1 each.

Organizations with the best cultural exhibit booth, best food and most tickets sold are rated from first to third place, according to the website.

“I think it’s an event which kind of teaches you a lesson that people who are different from you or cultures which are different from you are not weird, they are just different,” Sneha Arora, a fourth-year in finance and student chair for Taste of OSU, said.

Arora is emceeing the event this year, and said she is excited to introduce organizations that have worked hard for the event and communicated with her throughout the process.

“It will be nice to see the results of what we have been working on for past six months,” Arora said.

Sarah Makari, a third-year in psychology, is a member of the Arab Student Union at Ohio State — which was a first place winner for the 2019 Taste of OSU booth competition — and Students for Justice in Palestine, two participating student organizations Friday.  Members from both organizations will perform Dabke, a traditional dance with roots in locations such as Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, Makari said. 

Makari said dancing Dabke makes her feel empowered, connected with her team and in touch with her Arab roots and culture. 

“I feel super confident on stage,” Makari said. “The dance is very energetic, and it’s very hype. And I think that’s what the audience likes to see. They like to see very high energy performance, and so Dabke is just something that gets people excited, gets them on their feet, and a lot of people have not seen it, so it’s something new for them to watch.”

Taste of OSU will take place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Ohio Union.