In its 26th year welcoming diversity among new students at the University of Wisconsin, the Multicultural Orientation & Reception attracted hundreds of students to its school-year kickoff Friday.

The evening began with a performance showcase in the Union Theater, featuring the First Wave Multicultural Arts Ensemble, a troupe of elite spoken word artists, and Fundamentally Sound, one of the University of Wisconsin's male a cappella groups.

Multicultural Student Center Assistant Director Charles Holmes-Hope said MCOR is a critical program designed to highlight the talent and diversity at UW, while encouraging students of color to get involved on campus.

"MCOR strives to integrate students of color into the university community, while fostering a welcoming and nurturing community," Holmes-Hope said. "Our commitment is to provide cultural resources and co-curricular activities that are essential in supporting the total development of each and every student of color."

After the performance showcase, the event moved to the Memorial Union's Great Hall, where more than 50 multicultural student organizations presented their achievements and promoted their activities. The resource fair featured many student organizations targeting multicultural issues, including the Greater University Tutoring Services, Inroad and the UW Study Abroad Program.

Sponsored by the Division of University Housing, MCOR continued the celebration with a social and dance following the resource fair.

MCOR launched in 1981 and has since served as a resource for incoming students of diverse backgrounds, Holmes-Hope said.

"[Events like MCOR] help everybody learn about other people and their cultures," UW freshman Candice Stubblefield said.

UW junior Mobolaji Falomo, one of the students performing at the event, said she remembers attending MCOR as a freshman and feeling more "culturally comfortable."

"I saw the African Student Association perform during the showcase, and their performance really interested me," she said.

Falomo added it is nice to see minority organizations on campus that can also serve as potential support groups.

"Had I not gone to MCOR as a freshman, I would have never known about ASA," she said. "But by going to the fair and the showcase, it pushes students to become involved on campus."