Lakeland University’s International Food Festival was held in the Event Space at the Campus Center on November 18, 2021. Sponsored by Lakeland’s Global Student Association (GSA), this yearly festival promotes cultural connection through food. For this event, our Muskies prepared traditional dishes from all over the world, including countries such as India, Thailand, Albania, Japan, Nigeria, and many more. This year, more than 20 countries were represented as students shared their culture’s traditional cuisine.

According to the event coordinator, Samantha Vorhes, this year’s festival theme was “Oh, the places you will go,” inspired by Dr. Seuss. Each participant received a passport and stamps from the various featured booths. These passports were also used as raffle ticket to win prizes. The event space was colorfully decorated with flags representing many countries, as well.

President Jazmine Tidwell reflected on the importance of this event and giving Lakeland students an opportunity to learn about different cultures through one of the most important elements of a culture—food. She explained how important it is for students to experience these new dishes while learning their cultural significance. GSA does exactly that. It broadens students’ horizons.

The students who participated were beyond excited for the event. Michaela Schmitz, representing India, was thrilled for the opportunity to participate in this event and share an important part of her culture with the Lakeland community. She added, “I didn’t hesitate for a second to say yes. I was just really excited to share that part of me with Lakeland.”

The food we share here at Lakeland highlights our identities, traditions, histories, and lives. With the International Food Festival, Lakeland students shared parts of themselves, their families, and their traditions with the community. Join GSA next year by participating, trying new foods, and learning about different cultures through the International Food Festival.