The sweet smells of apple enchiladas and German chocolate cake filled the fourth floor of Downing University Center Friday night during International Night 2008.

Students from around the world greeted and hugged each other as they gathered together to teach others about their cultures.

International Night was created as a way to bring Western’s students together in an environment where they could share and enjoy each other’s unique cultures and backgrounds.

More than 12 countries were represented and an estimated 400-500 people showed up to participate throughout the night, said Reed Vesey, director of study abroad and global learning, one of the six organizations that helped coordinate the event.

“I think it turned out brilliantly well,” Vesey said. “Students got a chance to get some real interaction going on between different people from different cultures and they had fun while they were doing it.”

Vesey said that International Night wasn’t created to raise money, but instead to pull together all the ideas and resources of the organizations that created it to portray the lives of other cultures.

Sin-Ae Kim, a junior from Seoul, South Korea, sat behind a table wearing a “humbok,” a piece of silk attire worn by Koreans that they hope will bring good luck and money.

Kim said she decided to represent her country because she likes to get together with other Koreans to show people their culture and how different it is from China and Japan.

“I don’t think Americans realize that the Korean culture and theirs is a lot alike because the young people are pretty much the same,” Kim said. “We both like to listen to music, read or just hang out.”

Kim said that she likes that Americans aren’t afraid to approach Koreans to try talk to them in their language.

Burkesville freshman Samantha Wooton came because she is friends with an international student. She watched the dance group Xhibit perform.

“I love seeing different cultures and learning about them, but I didn’t realize how different other cultures were,” Wooton said. “I come from an all-white school, so it is neat seeing how different everything is.”

Wooton thinks more Americans should want to learn about different cultures other than their own, she said.

“I think that Americans should open their minds more so Americans don’t think that our culture is the right way and that is how everything else is supposed to be,” she said. “It’s really sad that some Americans aren’t willing to learn about different cultures because obviously there are a lot out there that are not well known but very interesting.”

Sandeep Singh, a graduate student from Lucknow, India, stood by his table holding a silver tray with a candle in the middle and greeted people using “aarti,” a formal welcome ritual in which red powder is placed on the forehead of visitors.

Singh said that he wanted to represent India because it’s one of the most diverse countries in the world, and has hundreds of different religions. He said he believes that International Night is a great way to help Western with its cultural shift.

Singh said that Kentuckians are sometimes more friendly than people from India.

“Now that I am in America, I am able to express myself and I can think differently and express how I really feel,” he said.

Reach Alex Booze at diversions@chherald.com.