SAN MARCOS — The Student Union was filled with students on April 28 indulging in cultural foods, games and raffles.
Students were immersed in diverse cultures, participated in various country-specific activities and even got the chance to try popular foods from the different countries.
When students first entered, they were given a yellow passport to get stamped after visiting a new country. They were able to “visit” seven different countries; including Germany, France and Japan. Once students were done “traveling,” they could submit their passport into a raffle to win gifts.
In order to get a stamp on their passports, students had to complete the activity at the country’s table.
With the FIFA World Cup kicking off on June 11, Café International had football themed games for students. At the Spanish table, attendees attempted to match the language to the football player.
Many students attended the Café International event, as well as many tutors and staff. From crepes to tamales, students were encouraged to not only try new food, but to make connections with other students.
“We want students to recognize the richness of the culture that we have and enjoy here at Palomar. And we want to make them aware of all of the languages that are offered,” Spanish tutor Susan Lopez said.
Some students came to the event to get extra credit for their language classes, but through active participation in the tables activities, they were able to get a sense of how the different cultures connect with their people.
“I really liked the other Spanish tables. Simply because the questions they were asking relate very much to the topic that we are presenting, which is the FIFA World Cup. As well as the sense of community within FIFA and within soccer,” student volunteer Valentine Bauer said.
Staff and volunteers quizzed students on different phrases and taught them how to say new words. While hosting the German table, Department Chair of World Languages Beatrice Manneh hoped students went home having learned something new.
“[Learning] German isn’t that hard, it’s actually very similar to English, because English is a Germanic language. So they’re very closely related and a lot of vocabulary is very similar,” Manneh said.
The French table was one that had an activity as well as cuisine, offering croissants and crepes to its visitors. At their table, students played a matching game, where they tried to pair the French phrase to the activity. They also learned various facts about the FIFA World Cup.
For more information on the World Languages Department, students can visit their website or contact the academic department assistant at 760-744-1150 ext. 239.