Thousands of students and staff had the opportunity to experience the final cultural celebration of Global Focus Week at the Taste of Nations Festival event held at the Vines Center Sept. 26.
Director of Communications and Student Engagement for LU ONE, Melissa Harris, said this event has been a tradition for students on campus, and this year, they added a new special element.
Before the event, the LU ONE team gifted free passports and pictures to students as souvenirs to take with them on their journey through the event. Students received custom-made stamps from each country they visited to fill their passport books.
“We really wanted students this year to have a more involved process when learning about other countries,” Harris said. “Before, it was only about tasting the food, but now it’s about learning about the culture and where the food comes from. It’s going to be a more immersive experience for students to really get an authentic look at what some of these countries have.”
Harris said giving students a voice to share their culture and having it celebrated by the community is a cherished tradition on campus.
“There are international students right here that are more than happy to share their culture and their experience and their testimony,” Harris said. “As Americans, we have certain privileges that not everybody in the world has. So just even hearing their testimony and asking them and being curious is so meaningful to our international community.”
International graduate student from Guatemala, Maria Baula Rojas Berjanza, has been participating in the Taste of Nations Festival event since her undergraduate years at Liberty. In past years, she cooked meals for her country, but this year she came as a guest with a new perspective.
“It’s interesting to see the other perspective on the Taste of Nations when you’re not cooking, because I don’t think students realize how much hard work goes into preparing every single one of these booths,” Berjanza said.
Berjanza said a lot of steps have to be taken when preparing for an event like Taste of Nations Festival.
“The teams behind every country probably take a full weekend to prepare this, to go get the groceries, to cook them, to serve them, and then to prepare. It takes a long time, and it is purely volunteer,” Berjanza said. “It’s just because international students want to share about their culture and their home countries.”
Berjanza said that this experience has allowed her to show love to other students because she knows how much hard work goes into preparing these meals.
“I make it a big priority when I get to tables to smile and say thank you or ask, ‘What is this?’ or make them feel like I am interested in them, rather than just taking their food without even looking them in the eye,” Berjanza said.
Berjanza said she hopes students visiting each table take the time to recognize the importance of the celebration and leave with a new perspective.
“I want them to realize how much diversity is here at Liberty because I think you interact with international students without even realizing it,” Berjanza said. “For people who leave their home country to come study here in the states — it’s a big decision, and I don’t think some students realize how hard that decision is.”
First-year student Damaris Guzman said this event reminds her of home and has allowed her to gain a better understanding of other cultures in a fun environment.
“I really love that Liberty does this. My family is from Puerto Rico and El Salvador, so it’s been really cool to see that represented and appreciated by the school,” Guzman said. “I love getting to learn more about how many cultures are here and just the student body as a whole.”
Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.