Exotic Flavors of St. Norbert College

Japanese miso soup, Peruvian papa a la huancaina and Thai laab moo with rice are just some of the countless dishes made by St. Norbert's international students at this year's annual International Cooking Night, which took place during the worldwide International Education Week (IEW) celebration.The gift of international education and worldwide exchanges have been recognized by St. Norbert College for many years Due to the increasing international population at St. Norbert College, Beyond Borders, an organization promoting diversity on campus, together with the Mary Minahan McCormick Resident Assistants, Residents Housing Association and ALIVE team joined forces to create the event which enabled many American students to get more closely acquainted with foreign cultures, while sampling traditional food from across the world.

One of the students who participated in the event, Ala Aldahneem '12, a Saudi Arabia native, spent her entire afternoon making Arabic and oriental food.

Aldahneem hoped many students enjoyed her dish and said: "I think this is a great event which brings different cultures together and at the same time gives American students an opportunity to sample our traditional food."

The world came to St. Norbert during the IEW, and many students were given a chance to explore different customs and cultures without having to leave campus. We live in an era of global interconnectedness and a heterogeneous, thriving college community that provides us with countless opportunities and different perspectives on various issues.

Kaylee Johnson '13 was thrilled when she attended the event, and stated: "I think it is great that the international students are making food from their native country."

Johnson, and many others who were attracted by exotic flavors coming from Pennings Activity Center gym on Nov. 19, expressed their sincere hopes that events like this will be a frequent occurrence on campus in the future.