On April 14, 2018, the International Students Association (ISA) will be hosting the annual International Food Festival, a celebration of the students who attend Drury from other countries.

Students from different nations will cook a traditional dish from their home country and serve it to the other participants, as well as providing cultural information and entertainment.

The festival serves as a way for international students to become more involved on Drury’s campus, representing their country and expressing themselves. The festival also gives Drury students native to the United States a window into what traditional food from certain countries might seem like, giving them a better idea of the culture and cuisine of the country.

In past years the festival has been mainly about the food served and created, though ISA President Velona Tawfik wanted to do something different this year.

“In previous years we only focused on food with small entertainment on the side,” said Tawfik. “This year we tried to bring more culture into it and not just the food, so we’re going to have international performances, such as teaching students a traditional Vietnamese dance or making bracelets. The idea is more around how to get people involved than just food.”

The food and entertainment doesn’t come by any small price however. To make the food for the festival the International students have to cook for almost 300 guests, leading to many deciding not to participate.

“It is a huge commitment,” said Tawfik. “Finding the perfect ingredients in Springfield for food can be hard, and then having to cook it by themselves and coming and setting up the night before can be exhausting. I know some students who come and set up and then just sit down for the rest of the event because it’s just so tiring to cook so much food. And if they’ve done it the first year and know how bad it can get they won’t return to help the next year.”

Despite this, Tawfik is confident in the students participating in the festival this year.

“I can’t speak for previous years, but I know that there are going to be a few countries that weren’t there last year. I know Italy didn’t do anything last year and they’re participating, we might have India there at the festival this year, but I know for sure that we have different countries than last year.”

The ISA already has different options available for purchasing tickets.

“I know that a lot of people prefer using their credit card to purchase things, so you can buy the tickets to the festival online,” said Tawfik. “On our Facebook the event is called International Food Festival, and you can purchase your tickets online through the link.”

For those students who want to buy their tickets with cash at a discounted price, the ISA has an alternative option for you.

“We will be selling tickets this Monday, the 5^th of March, outside the commons from 11-1, and then after spring break,” said Tawfik. “It would be better to buy the tickets before spring break though because they will be cheaper. We usually have the tickets at 10 dollars but if you buy them early it’ll only be eight.”

If you want to enjoy food and culture from around the world, make sure to purchase tickets from the International Students Association, found online at Drury’s website or in person at a discounted price.

Article written by Ryan Smith