Language and culture fair gives students a taste from around the world

Truman State University is home to many international students from several different countries. While they get to experience United States culture, sometimes they are offered the chance to share their own. Truman’s Office of Community Engagement hosted an international language and culture fair Oct. 14th. 

The event brought students representing fifteen different countries and several international organizations to share their food, games and culture with the campus community.

The event, organized by OCE staff including assistant director of programming, Kerrion Dean, took place on the campus quad.

“I think it’s very fun, all of our different international groups always love to sh

are their culture, especially when it comes to food – being able to cook things and share that with everybody on campus,” Dean said.

Many of the groups tabling presented food from their respective cultures. A French student table served crepes, Taiwanese students served milk tea and students from Bangladesh served pani puri, a common South Asian snack.

Namaste Nepal president Anshu Dahal spoke on the Nepali food presented at the event.

 “It’s chatpate. So it’s a mixture of puffed rice, peanuts, and varieties of veggies, like boiled potatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cilantro, and some spicy sauce,” Dahal said, “It’s a street food, so [it’s] everywhere in Nepal.” Members were preparing the dish at the table for all to see.

The event grew significantly this year compared to last according to Dean, going from seven different cultures to more than double at fifteen.

Dean said he hopes to add more engagement to the fair in upcoming years. 

“If I were to change anything … just trying to figure out how to incorporate more activities as well as the food component,” Dean said.