Students celebrate world cultures with campus festivities
At Whitman, there is no shortage of activities and events encouraging students to think globally. Last weekend, two such occasions were the InterNation Celebration, hosted by the Beyond Borders Club, Whitman Events Board and Intercultural Center, and Chopsticks Night at the Tekisuijuku (Japanese Interest House). The former, a yearly festival in which some students choose to wear national dress, featured dance performances, singing, fashion and skits.
The Japanese chopsticks workshop was an opportunity for students to learn the skills and etiquette surrounding different kinds of chopsticks while enjoying food and tea.
"I wanted to introduce the word 'ohashi,' which refers to the utensils that most people often refer to as chopsticks," said Assistant Professor of Japanese Ron Takemoto. "People normally try to understand another culture cerebrally, but in this case, students had the chance to learn something about Japan simply by using an ohashi and physically performing actions that may lead to food traveling from plate to mouth."