By Venisa Wallace, Staff Writer
The International Students’ Association brought sugar, spice and everything nice to Saint Leo University on November 17, 2010 with their annual International Food Night. International Food Night provides integration of the school body and enables students to learn more about each others’ cultures through food. Anyone who wanted to volunteer to cook a dish common to their country was welcome to do so. The first step one had to take to volunteer to cook a dish was to notify a member of the International Students’ Association. Senior members of the association include Sasha-Ann Jarrett and Clarissa O’ Connell, who were involved in every step needed to make International Food Night a success. The second step one would take to enter their dish into International Food Night was to provide a list of ingredients needed to make their dish to a member of The International Students’ Association. The ingredients for the dish were then provided by the association.
Succulent Jamaican jerk chicken marinated in spicy seasoning, cheese layered baked macaroni, Haitian style pork, and a side order of rice with beans were just some of the bountiful goodness that were available at International Food Night. For dessert, store-bought vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were distributed. The students arrived in crowds outside the Students Activity Building where the event took place and lined up buzzing with anticipation by the tables laden with food.
In an attempt to prevent waste, the International Students’ Association devised a scheme to have the students first line up for a sample trial to see what foods they liked and what foods they disliked. After sampling the foods, the students could return for a meal comprising of the foods they found delicious. This plan was not well organized, and students ended up eating from sample cups for the entire night. One may say that this was an innovative form of eating. Never-the-less, students appeared to enjoy sampling the different foods that were available.
Most of the foods that were on display were from the Caribbean islands, and were very flavorful as well as exotic. Next year for international food night maybe the International Students’ Association will have students display their baking skills, baking sugary treats common to their country, to compliment the main dishes. Accompanying the food, James Bellozier, disc jockey of the night, played music that kept everyone moving to the beat. International Food Night is a large event to organize, from encouraging people to participate to ensuring that the food is cooked on time. Under these tight demands, one may conclude that the International Students’ Association did an outstanding job.
