Thanksgiving is a time where friends and family gather around a table talking and enjoying each other’s company. Unfortunately, not every college student can be home for this time of conversation and feasting on turkey.
To keep the conversation and feasting intact, graduate assistant of the Cross-Cultural Conversation Connection (CCCC), Benji Kantz is continuing this tradition with a Global Potluck.
“The program gives an opportunity for everyone involved to learn about other cultures and interact with people from around the world that they might not actually get to have a conversation with,” Kantz said.
According to the CCCC website, this program connects American and International Students in small conversation groups, each with an individual group leader. The purpose of the Cross-Cultural Conversation Connection is to develop cultural understanding in today’s global community by connecting people from different cultures through conversation.
The Global Potluck is a time to gather everyone so they can interact with other groups of the CCCC program. The program has hosted the potluck event for the last two years, allowing American and International students to cook and present their favorite dish from home as a reflection of their culture.
“We will have questions about the kind of food in ,everyone’s cultures and the role that food plays in their culture,” Kantz said. “We will also talk about how family dinners are in everyone’s culture because in some cultures, family dinner is a time where families come together to talk about their days and that’s exactly the kind of dialogue I am hoping for with the potluck.”
Kantz decided to plan the potluck around Thanksgiving as a kickoff for the holiday season and to put a spin on the types of food everyone eats before settling into the turkey dinner.
The CCCC program has a Facebook page dedicated to the Global Potluck where people interested in the event can RSVP. There is also a query on the Facebook page asking “What dish will you bring to the potluck?”
With answers varying from chips and guacamole, Tex-Mex dish of fajitas, matzah ball soup and samosas, it is safe to say that guests will be tasting a variety of flavors.
“I am excited that there is a program that has events like this because I love food, and I want to taste a bit of every culture. I am from India so I am not able to go home often to have dinner with my family, so this potluck allows people to cook dishes from home and share your culture which is great,” International student Archi Jain said.
The event will be Nov. 18 in the Centennial Hall Meeting room at 6 p.m.
