At the International Club’s booth, sophomore Mahina Kamoku and her friends were selling Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and Italian tiramisu. Kamoku explained that her club enabled its members from diverse backgrounds to discuss world events that don’t get much attention here. In spite of some light rain on Sunday, April 10, big crowds of Santa Clara University students and visitors hung out at the school’s 30th annual Global Village with the theme “Bon Voyage.” Attendees purchased cultural foods and drinks, watched performances and learned about the various university organizations that promote multiculturalism. Over a dozen student organizations set up booths.
“The objective of this event is to get Santa Clara University students out to have a good time and see what our clubs on campus are involved with,” says Lauren Gardiner, director of the school’s Multicultural Center (MCC).
“Every year, some of the profits from all booths at this event go to a non-profit,” says Frankie Bastone, a school alum who works in university relations. “But this year, the MCC wants to start a scholarship for students of color. The goal is to raise $10,000.”
At the booth of Chi Upsilon Zeta, a multicultural service fraternity, senior Patrick Bones shared that his fraternity brothers were selling Taiwanese boba drinks (tapioca bubble teas) in two flavors: mango peach passion black tea, and green apple lychee jasmine green tea. They were also selling two kinds of t-shirts.
“One of our shirts says, ‘No matter what color, you’re still my brother,'” says fraternity member and senior David Lyons. “The other shirt says ‘Martin had a dream.'”
“It’s our hope to spread multiculturalism and community service. We value helping out in the community,” says senior Sean Yamagiwa, another member of Chi Upsilon Zeta. “We have worked with the Ulistac Natural Area and we have done meal preparation for low income families at Martha’s Kitchen, among other places.”
At the booth for the Native American Coalition for Change, freshman Katrina May was selling crispy and warm fry bread.
“Fry bread is traditional Native American food common among reservations; the natives make it from yeast, flour and sugar and they fry it,” May says. “I would like people to know that we Native Americans are here and we still exist in the United States. A lot of people aren’t aware that there are still reservations and Native American communities here.”
One of the cultural performances taking place at the Global Village was upbeat Indian dancing to the songs “London” and “Rangeelo.” The student dancers, both male and female, moved vibrantly with their sticks.
“Our club is Intandesh and it’s a South Asian club that represents cultures from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries in that area,” says junior Michael Katira, one of the dancers. “The sticks in our dance are one kind of instrument we use to create beats to represent unity and essence.”