With the start of each semester, the Multicultural Greek Council and the 14 multicultural Greek organizations host Greek Week, a weeklong series of event-filled exhibitions showcasing the various affiliated organizations.
From “Meet the Orgs” to a game night with s’mores, the Multicultural Greek community invites students and prospective members to get to know the community and learn more about their respective organizations.
One standout event that exemplifies the community’s diversity is their staple cultural potluck. Each organization is tasked with creating a dish that their members feel represents them.
“It’s a great way for many organizations to share what their culture is based around and the type of food they eat. It’s important to share that culture with others and have them intermingle with many different cultures,” said Jesus Velasquez, Multicultural Greek Council public relations vice president and member of Gamma Iota Omicron Fraternity.
Food plays a big part in many different cultures. It often connects groups while also showing appreciation or love to friends, Velasquez said.
“Free food is always a draw, especially when you’re in college and can’t always have that warm, homemade meal. To me, food is a big thing—it’s a show of love. It’s how my family would express their love for me, and to be able to spread that love to other people who might not have that right now is a big part of the community,” said Lesly Orellana, Sigma Lambda Gamma member and fifth-year biology major.
The cultural potluck attracts potential members by offering free, warm meals that are not typically found at the dining halls, Orellana said.
Some of the dishes featured at this semester’s cultural potluck included ceviche, a citrus shrimp dish; butter chicken, a buttery yet spicy curry originating from India; Vietnamese cucumber salad; and enchiladas.
Not every organization made a cultural dish, but the origins of the dishes did not matter as much as the process of connecting people through food—whether that was during the preparation of the dishes or through sharing them with others.