Manchester Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 31

MU| F e a t u r e s F or three full days every other spring Manchester international students gather in Chartwells’ kitchen to prepare the foods of their homelands. It’s exhausting, says Salwa Nubani ’16, of Ramallah, Palestine. But it’s also no ordinary meal. The students are cooking for hundreds of guests at MU’s biennial International Fair. “As a Palestinian, it gives me a chance to represent my country and my culture,” says Nubani, a biology-chemistry major now studying osteopathic medicine in Kentucky. “It gives me a lot of joy to see my classmates and fellow community members just enjoying my culture’s food.” The first International Fair, held in the Physical Education and Recreation Center (PERC), took place in 1993 as part of International Education Week. The event grew in popularity and, because of its scope, is now held every other year. About 650 students and community members attended the fair in April. Complementing the food was entertainment from around the world, including a Scottish pipe and drum band, Philippine dancers and more. “The dancing was neat to watch,” says Frank Sammons, a sophomore from Rushville, Ind. “Getting to see them express themselves and their cultures through their dance and clothing made the experience all the more memorable.” Nubani says international students would like to make the fair even more educational, more interactive. The atmosphere creates a comfortable setting for domestic students to ask international students about their cultures, she explains. In turn, it’s a comfortable place for international students to speak their own languages, wear their native dress, and share who they are with the wider community. This fair couldn’t happen without Dixon, who oversees the entertainment selection and coordinates the food and volunteers. “It’s an opportunity for us to focus on things outside of our normal sphere,” he says. “Here in Indiana, here in the U.S., we’re becoming increasingly multicultural and globalized. So we need to have a better understanding of what life is outside of our immediate surroundings.” “The fair serves another purpose,” says Dixon. Though he advocates strongly for Manchester students to study abroad, he says the fair is a good alternative for those who don’t get the chance. “We can bring other countries to them in some small way.” Adds Dixon, “There are people here from all walks of life. It’s an opportunity for people to get to know each other and celebrate different cultures here in northeast Indiana.” Nubani agrees. “I thought I knew a lot about the world when I got to Manchester, but then I learned I didn’t know as much as I thought I did.” Nubani says she doesn’t have the time or money to travel a lot, but the International Fair is a chance for everyone to travel within the confines of the PERC. “You can hear the culture. You can taste the culture. You can feel the culture.” By Sarah Farnam ’17 Students served food from 15 countries from Ethiopia to Mexico to the Philippines. “(I love) to see people’s expressions and curiosity when they come to your table,” adds Nubani, who worked as the student assistant to Michael Dixon, director of intercultural services. “Even though you’ve been exhausted for three days, it’s so worth it when you see how much people enjoy your cooking.” This year, dishes ranged from French crepes to Palestinian imjadara, a dish composed mostly of rice and lentils with crispy onions on top. “My favorite were the samosas,” says Franziska Külbel, an exchange student from Marburg, Germany. “They were from Uganda, and they were so good. I’m actually getting the recipe for them.” VIDEO Manchester students (above) celebrate the International Fair, a biennial event on the North Manchester campus. Serving food (left) at last April’s fair is Dagmawit Alemu, a sophomore from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. See the video at magazine.manchester.edu Manchester | 31