On Wednesday, CSGA hosted its much-anticipated Taste of Culture, a showcase of diversity, flavors, and community spirit. With each club providing a unique dish or two, it allowed students to try food from various cultures all while staying in the grounds of Zuberano Lawn.

The coordinator of the event and Student Life Vice President, Sean-Zacharry Lorenzo, was proud of how everything turned out.

“I think the event was a success”, Lorenzo said. “I see smiling students, I see people trying new dishes, and I see friends hanging out.” 

In its sixth year, “Taste of Culture” proved to be a hit amongst students yet again, with a total of 80 students attending according to Lorenzo. Booths with flags, banners, and traditional decorations welcomed students into Zuberano Lawn. CSGA had music playing while giving students the opportunity to walk around and visit the various booths.

A total of 12 clubs participated in the event (TaoTao Marianas Club, World of Dance, Accounting Club, Office of Student Engagement, Chaminade Student Government Association, Micronesian Club, Lumana’i O Samoa, Student Organization of Latinx, The Filipino Club, Office of the President, Chemistry Club, and Restauranteers Club). 

Some of the dishes that were showcased included falifu fa’i from Lumana’i O Samoa, chicken katsu sandwiches from Chemistry Club provided by “Katsusando”, and latiya from TaoTao Marianas. Some clubs provided refreshments instead of the traditional food dish. Accounting club provided homemade horchata and baja blast which comes from Mexican culture.

Students were greeted at the front of the line by CSGA, who were giving out macrons highlighting French culture. As students made their way from booth to booth, they not only indulged in delicious food but also engaged in meaningful conversations with their peers. Many stayed at booths to learn more about the unique dishes and talked with the club members that were serving them.

Many of the dishes that were provided were made by the club members themselves, with the exception of some of the clubs which catered its food. TaoTao Marianas club showcased two homemade dishes from the Chamorro culture which were latiya and chicken kelaguen. 

“Latiya is a Chamorro dessert, specifically a cinnamon custard cake”,explained Isaiah Atalig, the president of the club. “The chicken kelaguen is a chicken dish with lemon powder, grated coconut, green onion, yellow onion, and salt.”

Another club that showcased a culture was Restauranteers club. The club represented Jamaican culture and provided Jerk Chicken and Plantain. Temika Hemmings, a member of the club explained why they chose to participate in the event.

“We really wanted to represent the Caribbean Islands,” Hemmings said. “We realized that there are not a lot of Jamaican people on campus but there’s a lot of Jamaican influence so I really wanted to bring the food alongside the history of my people.” 

As the night wrapped up, many of the students began leaving Zuberano as they finished what was left on their plates. Lorenzo noted that many of the clubs ran out of food which was good because it shows that students have an interest in these events and it brings people together.