By Matt Flynn
Correspondent
Loud, eclectic music emanated through the Brower Student Center for the College’s “Trip Around the World,” a culture-oriented event showcasing diverse flavors from several different civilizations, on Thursday, Nov. 20.
Students lined up to view posterboard presentations about each group’s country, complete with little, colorful facts spread across the white canvasses to educate people more about world cultures.
But the students at the event, sponsored by the Center for Global Engagement, had a different agenda.
“I’m just here for the different kinds of food,” junior business major Brian Dragotto said. “I think that’s what everyone’s here for.”
He may not be wrong, either. Many students admittedly described their desire for other options than the school’s limited dining arrangements.
This was evidenced by the different levels of attention paid to presentations that included ethnic foods rather than those delivering bare information.
The upstairs balcony of the Student Center was loaded with students in line for Chinese Chai Tea or pastries, while the downstairs main floor was empty, excluding sign-ups for a raffle that was being run.
Compelling, though, was the amount of students from the International House who attended the event. Students in the house had come from all over, including several from England and Australia — a diverse assortment of nationalities for a school as small as the College.
Posters detailed the I-House, China, Denmark, the Anthropology Club, Spain, Italy and others. The use of music added to the ambiance of the packed event, with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave” bellowing and echoing throughout the wide-open Student Center.
“It’s great to see a bunch of students together to experience something that makes everyone more culturally aware,” sophomore journalism major Craig Dietel said.
