This week was popping with ethnic student organizations’ events on campus. The Ethnic Student Council (ESC) kicked off the week on Monday with their Chip & Dip. On Tuesday, the Chinese Student Association (CSA) hosted Little Chinatown. On Wednesday, there were two events: Onam, by the Indian Undergraduate Association (IUA), and It’s More Fun in the Philippines, by the Filipino Association of Stevens Tech (FAST). Finally, last night, the Latin American Association (LAA) hosted their Latin Jazz Night Event.
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Chip and Dip took place in Babbio Atrium on Monday, Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. Since it was an ESC event, all of the cultural RSOs (Recognized Student Organizations) under the ESC umbrella were in attendance, serving sample sizes of foods from their representative cultures. Many, including the Korean Student Association (KSA) and Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) gave performances, including K-Pop dance and Stand up comedy, respectively. In addition, all three of the multicultural Greek organizations (Nu Alpha Phi, Omega Phi Beta, and Lambda Upsilon Lambda) showed what they’re about with strolling performances. “Chip and Dip is an event where each ethnic club can show off a bit of their culture, both in food and in performance,” said ESC Secretary Jeff Ung.
Some dishes on the menu for students to sample included Lumpiang Shanghai and Prito (egg rolls), veggie spring rolls, pork dumplings, fried chicken, jerk chicken, Irish soda bread, cannolis, and more. Over 200 students attended the event. Although the Ethnic Student Council does not have open membership, they encourage all students to get involved with organizations under their subcommittee.
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Little Chinatown was in Babbio Atrium on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. Originally scheduled for Babbio Patio, the event had to be moved indoors due to forecasts of inclement weather. The event was hosted by CSA and resembled a mashup between a Taiwanese Night Market and Chinatown. They served light Asian snacks like Pocky, Hi-chew, Hello Panda, bubble tea from Vivi’s, as well as a ton of other food: roasted duck, cha siu, fried rice, scallion pancakes, and egg waffles.
In addition, students could take pictures in front of a Great Wall of China backdrop, play a duck ring toss game, or a fishing game to win snacks and prizes. “We had about 140+ attendees and everyone had fun. This was our first event with the new e-board, so hopefully, our future events will be bigger and better!” said Caitlin Uang, the Social Chair for CSA.
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IUA hosted their first event of the semester, Onam, in Babbio Atrium on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. Onam is an ancient Hindu festival that takes place during the end of summer to celebrate the rice harvest in several parts on India. The event was originally scheduled for Sept. 12, but had to be rescheduled due to forecasts of rain.
At the event, students were able to sample different varieties of Indian food, such as lemon rice, naan, paneer (cottage cheese), idli, sambar, and vada. The IUA President Dhru Patel said he felt that the event “went swimmingly” with attendance of over 100 students.
IUA’s next event will be International Snack Night on Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. on Palmer Lawn.
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It’s More Fun in the Philippines took place in Jacobus Lounge on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. The theme was “a tour of the Philippines.”
“It’s a really great first event of the semester… it’s a tour of our culture, and a nice way to welcome people into the club and who we are,” said Olivia Lew, Social Chair for FAST, about the event. Students could sample some Filipino food such as Veggie and Pork Lumpia.
This event “highlights the good sides of the Philippines: shared unity of culture creates a vibe of closeness, and FAST is extra focused on culture,” added Anthony Lucero, a member of FAST.
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Finally, on Thursday, Sept. 20, the Latin American Association (LAA) hosted their Latin Jazz Night. “The purpose of Latin Jazz night is to give students the opportunity to try different foods from Latin America while enjoying the diverse culture expressed through music,” explained President Nathalie Pena. The event took place in Bissinger this year, after historically taking place in Jacobus Lounge for several years.
At the event, there was a live Latin band that played salsa, merengue, and bachata. Rice, beans, sausages, chicken, and more were served.
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