A line formed outside of Webb Hall in the Memorial Union last Sunday, March 3, for ESU’s annual International Food Festival. Outside the door, attendees could purchase tickets to use for currency at the event, and also could pick up a menu or buy recipe cards. Inside, the walls were blanketed with the flags of twenty two different countries which were represented through performances on stage as well as through food and activities at tables lining the room.
Preparation for the event began as early as last semester, from recruiting students to going to Kansas City to shop for ingredients at international markets. “It just took a lot of work, like, manpower.” Says Director of International Student and Scholar Services Chie Austin. “We have a lot of GAs but there are two main GAs who just worked really, really hard to make sure that everything went smoothly. There’s another GA who worked on the marketing piece. So yeah, without their help we really couldn’t put it together.”
The event was well attended with every table occupied by students, parents, faculty, and members of the community. “As you can see there’s a lot of community members here, so as you can see this is quite the community favorite,” says Austin. “ We represent a lot of beautiful cultures and countries on this campus and I feel like people don’t know about them until we throw this event. This is the moment where the international students shine and get recognized… hopefully more people, not just community members but domestic American students recognize them and try to be more open to becoming friends with international students.”