Sample the World

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Chadron State’s International Club hosted its annual Food Tasting Party Saturday. According to International Peer Mentor Bethany Bergstrom, 21, junior of Axtell, it was the 39th annual Food Tasting Party.

The acts included traditional Polynesian dances performed by Luau Polynesia, a group comprised of CSC graduates of Rapid City, South Dakota; and the singing of “We Are the World” by a group of 24 Job Corps students and international students, among many other performances.

“Chadron has a wealth of international variety that most of the people never had the opportunity to experience,” Bergstrom said.

Like last year, they sold all 300 tickets to the gathering, leaving Bergstrom happy with the attendance. A large number of community members who are regulars showed up, as well as students from all grade levels and CSC professors and other faculty.

Sabuj Khatri, 20, freshman of Nepal, prepared food for the event from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

“A lot of our food is spicy or sour,” Khatri said. “We used lots of spices, cucumber, and carrots—deli foods of Nepal—to make the Nepali Pickle.”

The Nepali members of the club also added their Chicken Curry to the menu.

Despite doors opening slightly behind schedule, the public expressed great satisfaction with the new foods they were introduced to. International students from Russia, Ethiopia, China, Nepal, and more prepared dishes to be served.

KamRon Tomlinson, 22, senior of Kansas City, Missouri, enjoyed his meal and the overall experience of learning about other cultures.

“No matter where you get food from, it’s good,” Tomlinson said. “Different meats, rices, and everything—it makes you want to experience more in life.”

Tomlinson dates an international student, and reflected on his experience in doing so by stating, “There are times you have to step back and realize that despite the difference in cultures, the communication barrier isn’t as different as people might think.”

Bergstrom said she found the event to be a complete success, claiming that they did not have a single issue in the kitchen in the nine hours they were in it.

“It was a great time getting to watch all the different ways of food preparation from different countries,” Bergstrom said. “Although the doors opened 15 minutes later than we had originally anticipated, people were astonished at how much food we had, as well as the great quality.

“Our only other issue for the evening is that the sound for the international ambassador’s video was malfunctioning at the beginning, but after that it was smooth sailing. I feel as if those who attended received a great international cultural experience.”

Bergstrom went on to say that in years to come, as different nationalities attend CSC, people can expect a showcase of more international foods. She claims, however, that they should expect the same high quality of food and entertainment.