The Oak Room transformed into a tour of Asian cultures through the mediums of song, dance and food as part of the 9th Annual Flavors of Asia event.
Put on by the joint effort of the Asian Student Association and the South Asian Student Association, Flavors of Asia transported those in attendance to various countries on Nov. 11.
“I think our biggest goal is to spread cultural awareness outside just the clubs. Just to connect people to different cultures and decrease the gap,” said President of SASA Jasmine Raghunandan ‘17.
Throughout the evening, guests explored games and temporary body art, Henna — in addition to watching performances that included belly dancing, Korean pop and a fashion show. Performances included an appearance by Remixx, the University’s hip-hop dance team. Additionally, activities included a Chinese chopstick game that ASA created, which offered prizes to those capable of using chopsticks to transfer various amounts of beans into a dish and a Japanese fishing game, Kingyo Sukui, to engage those in attendance.
Sophomore Julia Lam, a member of ASA, helped work the game table and offered her own input on the value of the event.
“It’s nice because you get to show your culture and the Asian culture,” said Lam.
Senior Aimee Donohue could be found enjoying herself at the Henna table.
“I love seeing everyone come out and just celebrate culture and diversity and get a chance to explore what different parts of the world are like,” said Donohue.
Breaks between performances allowed guests to interact and visit the various stations. President of ASA Isabella Perkins ‘17 estimated that about 200 students and Fairfield residents were in attendance at this year’s Flavors of Asia. She estimated that the number was more than previous events.
Perkins also explained ASA’s goals and influence on the collaborative event with SASA.
“We are a club that wants to promote the culture of Asia,” said Perkins. “It’s a passion of ours to learn about the culture and the history.”
Before the performances, guests explored the flavors of Asian cuisine through multiple dishes including, but not limited to, beef and broccoli, paneer tikka and General Tso’s chicken.
For some guests, like Marina Lindland ‘18, Friday’s event was not her first experience with Flavors of Asia.
“I came here freshman year for the FYE credit and I had such a good time,” said Lindland. “There was Henna and the food was great. I found out it was going on and I was really excited to come out again.”
Provided the help of the event sponsors Residence Life, Campus Ministry, Student Engagement and The Office of Student Diversity, Flavors of Asia facilitated another annual tour of various Asian cultures.
According to Vice President of ASA Sarah Talmage ‘17, Flavors of Asia is the club’s largest event each year.
“My favorite part is everyone coming together no matter which culture you’re from,” Talmage said.
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