At 11am on November 3rd,the annual International Cultural Festival kicked off at the Nunamann Hall courtyard. Booths representing countries from around the world were on full display, Egypt, Japan, China, Thailand, Portugal, and the Philippines were a few of the many present. Flags, photos, and trifolds adorned each table. Some even had a bowl with stickers from that country.
While the early afternoon temperature wasn’t too hot or cold, gusts of wind would occasionally send the Italian or Greek flags flying off the table. There was a fear for the potential of rain, but it seemed the storms decided not to interrupt the fun.
On the west side of the pavilion were tables stocked with different kinds of international drinks. A Japanese soda brand Ramune was available to sample, next to a type of water-juice mixture drink derived from the Aloe Vera plant. From Latin America, there was the famous Jarritos soda, and a pear-nectar juice.
Students seemed to be more focused on what was available on the opposite end of the courtyard, the food line. Representatives from Student Life stood ready to fill plates with a variety of dishes. Empanadas, pierogies, kebabs, and more. What they didn’t tell you was that the chicken kebab had a little bit of tang to it.
Chuck Dwelly, a DSC student and Resident Assistant, said he was happy to help. “Everyone has been great,” and “People are also learning about the new foods we have.”
One can hardly forget about dessert though. From Turkey there was the pastry Baklava, which is a sort of a layered wafery dough cake soaked or filled with honey or syrup. There were also churros, which ATC campus student Samantha Lapila said were “very good,” and “super yummy.”
There were not only students at the festival. Former ESOL teacher Kim Hardiman made an appearance too. Hardiman was a part of the dance teams that would perform for events like these when she was on faculty at DSC. Hardiman was born in Hong Kong and developed a special liking for the International Cultural festival.
“The festival helps express culture,” Hardiman said. Hardiman is retired now but still attends to “remind people to make friends with those of other countries and different languages.”
While Kim Hardiman may be a festival veteran, first-timers were enjoying it as well. DSC student Ashleigh Hill said she enjoyed it. “I think it’s really nice the school has this, and it’s a good time of the day to do it,” Hill said.
Samuel DiNardo, a dual enrollment student, also made it out for his first time. “I’m glad I came, I’ve had fun,” DiNardo said.
Many more students made it out, and by 1pm the storages of food and drink were running low. It was good timing, however. The festival ended right around when the infamous Florida heat decided to make itself known. The International Cultural Festival was once again a popular hit on campus.