Middle School Students Explore the World on a Plate

Seventh- and eighth-grade students got the opportunity to explore the world and share a taste of cultural cuisines and desserts during the cultural food assembly hosted by the Middle School Diversity Club.

 

Assembled on tables in the Lender Refectory were a multitude of trays full of homemade food and desserts from different countries including Ethiopia, Argentina, Italy, India, China, and Greece. From cannolis to tamales, char sui, koulourakia, matzo ball soup and more, students enjoyed various cuisines while conversing and learning about different cultures from around the globe.

 

Seventh-grade student Bethel Desta was enthusiastic for the assembly as she brought in traditional Ethiopian food, Injera, for her classmates. The dish is made with a grain called teff and is typically eaten with various sauces. Bethel noted that to teach her classmates how to enjoy the dish, she explained that you tear a piece off from the injera and scoop up the sauce. It's simple, but a lot of people find the dish intimidating due to the lack of utensils.

 

“I thought that sharing my culture and dish with the school was so fun,” said Bethel. “Being (I think) the only Ethiopian student at Hamden Hall has allowed me to shine a light on my heritage, especially thanks to the diversity club.”

 

According to Middle School teacher and club advisor Allison Ehrenreich, the Diversity Club began during the 2020-2021 academic year with faculty members Jose Martinez and Arijan Ager as the club advisors. As Ms. Ager went on to pursue graduate school, Ms. Ehrenreich joined as a faculty advisor this year. She noted the students wanted to host an assembly for the end of the school year and decided on a cultural food event.

 

“One of the big themes we discuss throughout the year is identity, said Ms. Ehrenreich. “Our cultural, ethnic, and religious identities are often connected to food, so we thought it would be a really fun way to bring the Middle School community together over food tied to our different identities.”