Bazaar serves ethnic eats

Nearly 1,400 students wearing Cornhusker red and singing "There Is No Place Like Nebraska" needed passports to get here on move-in day.

International students and Lincoln natives alike roam in and out of classrooms, through dorms and along walkways at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - and International Education Week aims to close the gap between the two types of classmates.

International Education Week is designated each year by the U.S. Departments of State and Education. Around the country, people and institutions celebrate their non-native neighbors and emphasize an effort in international education and other global partnerships.

"Close to 600,000 international students are in the United States at any given time," said Stephen Mattos, an international student and scholar adviser at UNL. "That in itself is going to raise your awareness and put you into contact with students like that."

To celebrate International Education Week, UNL International Affairs is holding events throughout this week, including an International Food Bazaar today in the Nebraska Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Foreign smells will waft through the air as Russian borscht, alongside Korean pizza and Czech kolaches, competes with Runza's crinkle fries.

Although International Affairs provides booths, the rest of the food bazaar is put on entirely by student groups.

"Any student organization with an international aspect to it (can participate)," Mattos said. "The idea of it is they're bringing food to represent their region."

Many of the international clubs have been participating in the bazaar since UNL began really celebrating International Education Week a few years ago. Typically, the food bazaar has been a success among UNL students. Naturally, anything involving cheap food is going to be popular with collegians.

Participating students put a lot of time and effort into making the food. They get recipes, find and buy uncommon ingredients and cook enough to feed their hungry classmates.

Evan Blankenau, the president of the UNL Russian Club, said they even try using recipes written in Russian.

"It's challenging, and it's a good cultural experience," said Blankenau, a junior history major.

The quantity of food can be an added challenge, especially if the group has limited time or kitchen space. UNL's Czech Komensky Club used 20 pounds of pork for their pork roast and 10 pounds of beef for goulash, in addition to the other dishes they will sell.

Despite the time and work groups spend preparing for the food bazaar, they say it's worth the effort to share their cultures with other UNL students.

"It's a lot of work, but it's also an expression of our culture," said Shawn O'Donnell, a senior political science major and the president of the Czech Komensky Club. "We are excited to share our experience and our culture with other students on campus, and hopefully we'll get some interest in our organization."

Although students may be a little wary of the foreign smells and textures -

most of the dishes probably won't look like the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes in the dining hall - the variety of cultures and dishes guarantees there will be at least something they can stomach.

"You can sample foods you've never eaten in your life before," said Irma Sulejmanovic, a senior nursing major, vice president of programming and activities for the International Student Organization and member of European Students Unite, both of which are participating in the food bazaar. "If (students) want to try something new and try a little of the world in general, they should come out and sample some of the food. They'll like at least one thing there."

This year, the food bazaar will extend into other cultural facets, as well. Some groups will dress in traditional clothes, play music or sell non-food items.

The Korean Student Association and the Saudi Student Association are among the clubs who will serve food while wearing the clothes of their culture.

Food - in addition to being the key to a college student's heart - is a huge part of each culture, Blankenau said. Every region has unique resources, history and customs.

"(As students) are buying the food, I think they're getting a greater sense of what that culture's about," Blankenau said. "Food is pretty representative of the livelihood of that area."

andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com