Global Cafe gives students a passport to exotic food

By EMILY HANSON

Students were given passports as they entered Seacobeck Hall for the Global Café. Each student had to secure four stamps in order to win door prizes that included a Center for International Education t-Shirt, gift cards to Baba Ganoush and the UMW Bookstore, as well as a grand prize scholarship of $500 for study abroad.

In replacement of the staple Seacobeack dinner dishes, the Global Café offered a variety of international foods: Argentinean barbeque, tapas, Asian stir-fry and turkey mornay crepes amongst others.

“I think it’s helping the UMW students get accustomed to other cultures and international cuisine,” junior biology and German double major Nora Forknall said.

Members of InterLink, students who have studied abroad and international students all wore traditional clothing related to their country of origin or travel.

These volunteers manned the doors to welcome the visiting UMW students, sat at tables set up throughout the dining hall with information about various programs and walked around talking with students. Each time a student talked to one of these volunteers, they received a stamp on their passports.

Attendees turned in their passports and prizes were announced later in the evening.

“Students will engage with some international students and learn more about opportunities abroad and come out with a better understanding of diversity on campus,” director of CIE Jose Sainz said.

Global Café was one in a number of weeklong events that were part of International Education Week, sponsored by CIE. This was the second annual International Education week at UMW.

To accompany the festivities, the UMW Jazz Band played international songs throughout the night. The band was located in the seating section between the Smart Market and the Bistro, which was decorated with the flags of different countries streaming across the walls and over the ceiling.

“My favorite dish was the Indian curry,” senior international affairs major Jayne Winterkorn said.

The advertising of international foods and door prizes brought UMW students to Global Café Wednesday, while the event then gave these students the opportunity to learn about international opportunities available through CIE.