Staff Writer
Last Saturday the International Students Club hosted its annual international dinner, which was called “Passport to Pangaea,” in the Runner Café. The event featured food and performances from the various countries represented at CSUB.
The evening was very enjoyable, according to alumna Diana Melgar. A former member of the International Students Club, she returned this year to assist with the setup and join in the festivities.
“The International Students are the best people you could ever meet,” Melgar claimed over a plate full of delicious assorted dishes.
Melgar’s sister, sophomore Melissa Melgar, also attended the event. Her second time at the dinner, she noticed that this year different cultures were represented than in years past, furthering the goal of diversity on campus.
Both sisters agreed that the food from each country was remarkable, but the platinos fritos (or fried plantain) from El Salvador was their favorite dish.
While they enjoyed their food, diners were entertained by a program just as diverse as the cuisine. Dances from Venezuela, Japan, India, Lebanon and many other countries, as well as music and fighting demonstrations, were among the performances seen.
The audience clapped and danced along to many of the performances. During the Venezuelan tambor dance, the crowd went wild, standing to get a better view of the colorfully clad dancers.
One of the more unconventional acts came from the Bakersfield division of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). This group is dedicated to recreating ancient history (mainly European) up to the 16th century.
Dressed in traditional costumes, which consisted of handmade knight costumes, SCA members gave a demonstration of old-fashioned fighting styles early on in the evening.
Coordinating such a large and diverse group of students and performers was not easy. According to Dagmara Karnowski, CSUB’s International Students and Programs Coordinator, preparations for the event began in January. Karnowski worked for months to promote the event and get students organized cooking and practicing their performances.Karnowski estimated that at least 15 countries were represented at the event including Venezuela, the Philipines, El Salvador, Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
Karnowski estimated that at least 15 countries were represented at the event including Venezuela, the Philipines, El Salvador, Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
Students from these and other countries prepared the dishes, dances, music and demonstrations, which reflected their unique culture and were seen through the night by a crowd of about two hundred attendees.
According to Karnowski the goal of the evening was to celebrate the diversity CSUB has. Because of the small percentage of international students Bakersfield has compared to other California State Universities, Karnowski stated, “I think it’s important to show that there are other cultures on this campus.”
By expressing pride in their countries of origin, Karnowski and the international students have created an experience not quite like any other Bakersfield has to offer. The annual International dinner was a fine event for anyone who wishes to honor their own cultural background or bask in the rich cultures of others.
