Distinguished for its diverse student body, John Brown University hosted the highly anticipated International Food Festival on Wednesday, Nov. 8, an event that enthusiastically brings together JBU students from across the globe to honor their countries. The Council for International Friendship (CIF) was responsible for the organization of the event that took place in Simmons Great Hall. They invited students from 19 different nations to cook food for other JBU students and faculty.
From a spicy and crunchy Mexican meal to sweet and creamy desserts from Brazil, the festival included a variety of plates that international students constructed, with the economic help of CIF, and presented to the people who attended in exchange for tickets to compete to win cash prizes. Jose Conejo, a sophomore cybersecurity major and part of the CIF committee, shared his experience planning the activity.
“It took us approximately two months, it was really tiring to arrange everything, but it was worth it seeing all those people enjoying different cultures at JBU,” Conejo said.
Cheerful conversations, colorful traditional costumes and a lot of flavors and smells became part of the night as people arrived to enjoy a cultural encounter with their friends. Music was part of the night too, with the band Watu performing as well as the dance groups from the India and Dhirana Indian Classical Academy. Conejo expressed his surprise as he saw the effort students from all countries made.
“We were very happy that all of them were committed to making this festival special, we are very grateful that they all worked very hard,” Conejo said.
The three groups of students that received the most tickets for their food were awarded prizes of $75, $50, and $30. Fuad Haddad, a freshman international student, was one of the two students representing Jordan who won first place among the countries.
“It was very nice to see all the people trying the dish, it was a new experience for me and I liked how it went,” Haddad said.
The dish they cooked is known as Maqloubeh, a flavorful blend of rice, meat, and vegetables that was well-received by all the people who attended.
Besides their own contribution to the event, international students were also encouraged to sample food and share their experiences with one another, creating an enriching atmosphere.
“From the dishes that I tried, the ones from Kenya and Malaysia were very good, it was a good way to learn about other countries,” Haddad said.
The International Food Festival goes beyond being a cooking event; it’s a celebration of the diversity and cultural richness at the heart of JBU.
