Ohio State students can experience new cultures on campus tonight.
Taste of OSU is an event that brings together more than 30 international student organizations. They share their native traditions through food, cultural displays, music and dancing. The event runs tonight from 5 to 9 p.m. in the RPAC. Attending the event is free, but food tickets cost $1 each.
“The Office of International Affairs holds the event each year to help the campus community learn more about other cultures and the importance of having a diverse and vibrant environment in which we can celebrate,” said Maureen Miller, spokeswoman for International Affairs.
Attendees have the opportunity to meet and interact with international students to learn about traditions from around the entire world. Miller said more than 4,000 people show up to sample of international cuisine and watch the performances.
“It’s just a great way to experience lots of different cultures all at once — and right here on the campus of Ohio State,” Miller said.
The event originated in 1997 when a few student leaders gathered together to share the food and traditions of their countries with about 60 people over lunch, Miller said. The size of the event has continually grown ever since.
We are constantly amazed by the creativity, the energy and the hospitality demonstrated by participating student organizations,” Miller said. “The amount of planning and teamwork involved is significant.”
Participating in Taste of OSU involves selecting recipes, attending food-safety classes, shopping for ethnic ingredients, cooking thousands of portions of food, creating the displays and practicing for the performances.
Miller said the students preparing the food team up with chefs from Campus Dining Services.
Abdullahi Yusuf, president of the Somali Students Association and a third-year in political science and English, said participating in the event is fun.
“We really love doing so because it’s a great way of raising our national heritage and interacting with all Somali organizations in the school,” Yusuf said.
Raising cultural awareness is the main objective of the Somali Student Association. It will be doing so through a display, cultural fashion show, dancing and food at Taste of OSU.
The group plans on serving dishes such as rice with goat meat, anjero (Somali bread) with sughaar (beef and chicken cubes) and an array of desserts. A display, cultural fashion show and traditional dance called Dhaanto are also planned.
It has taken more than four weeks to plan, Yusuf said.
The Middle East Studies Center has been planning for Taste of OSU even longer — about two months.
“We will be having an informational exhibit detailing our activities and other opportunities for Middle Eastern awareness around campus,” said International Studies Outreach Coordinator Cory Driver, who is also a second-year master’s student in near-eastern languages and cultures.
Driver admitted the booth he works at will not have food, but he said that a lot of people will be attracted to it.
“We find that students interested broadly in international cultures are also interested in the kinds of events we plan and the fellowships we give out,” Driver said.
