COLUMN: Global Picnic Enhances Diversity on Campus
Global Picnic is an annual event that allows some of our cultural clubs at USU to fundraise while exposing domestic students to different styles of food, music and dance. The ASUSU Diversity Board is working alongside the Access and Diversity Center and the International Student Council to gather and put on a great event this Wednesday. The various clubs decide what food they want to sell, which gives students a small “taste” of their culture.
I highly recommend that all students at least stop by at some point throughout the day. It is a fantastic way for students to meet and see what cultural clubs are here on campus. I am a strong believer that everyone needs to have an understanding of different cultures, and what better way to start than through food?
My hope is to see an expansion of diversity on the USU campus, and a simple way to do so is by exposing students to different cultures. It can sometimes be intimidating to just start going to a cultural club, but good music and food can help spark your interest. All it takes is interest and before you know it, we will have more domestic students attending and participating in our larger events such as Dawali, the Luau, African Banquet, the Pow Wow and other similar events.
Even though I would love to have every student join a cultural club, I understand that it is not attractive to everyone. Even if this is your case, I highly recommend students get involved with ASUSU and the campus by supporting our other clubs. Every club on campus brings a special aspect to student life and having our students support our clubs by just showing up or buying a plate of food means a lot to these organizations. When it comes to clubs and diversity, there will always be a place for each student somewhere, but it is up to the students to start searching for their place.
Reiterating what I said before, I hope that students will attend Global Picnic on Wednesday, Oct. 9, on the Taggart Student Center plaza from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will be everything from our Latino Student Union to the German Club and so many others who will be selling and performing.
I am always excited to meet new students and help them find a club or get connected with cultures that they have an interest in. Feel free to stop by my office at any time, TSC 342.
– Sonina Hernandez, a senior studying Global Communications, serves as the Diversity and Campus Organizations Vice President for ASUSU. She can be reached at diversity.usu@gmail.com.