International Dinner, an event which intends to bring different cultures together at Allegheny College and in the Meadville community will hold its annual dinner on Sunday, Nov. 22 at Schultz Banquet Hall.

This event is organized every year by Allegheny’s International Club, which was established to foster a sense of community among all Allegheny students through learning about, teaching and hosting events which build a greater international consciousness on campus.

Tickets will be sold in the campus center lobby from 11 a.m to 1 p.m through Friday, Nov. 20.

Allegheny’s domestic and international students, faculty and members of the Meadville community will all be in attendance.

“For me, the International Dinner is an opportunity to bring the campus and Meadville community together to experience diversity on a small scale. It represents being able to engage in other cultures, despite being in a small U.S. town. All aspects of the dinner encourage the guests to appreciate cultural differences through the performances, fashion show and dishes. It has been an opportunity for me to see more of the world without leaving the campus,” Hannah Russell, ’16,  said,  vice president of the International Club.

The International Dinner will provide 17 different dishes from all over the world including but not limited to Germany, Serbia, Brazil, Vietnam, India, Taiwan, Yemen and Mexico.

The recipes for each dish are provided by students who will also act as the chefs for their dish.

A fashion show and some performances will be included in the International Dinner experience on Sunday.

Windy Mai, ’18, will perform Chinese ribbon dancing at the dinner.

“I’m excited,” said Mai.  “It’s going to be my first international dinner, I’m ecstatic that our college has such an event allowing students to experience the beauty in various diverse cultures, in not just food, but also in experiencing traditional clothing and performances/entertainment. It’s like you get to travel the world with the International Club. It’s truly a valuable and affordable experience for just $6.”

According to Russell, the International Dinner enables people to understand different cultures by food.

“I absolutely love being a part of the dinner because you get to see everyone come together to work towards creating an amazing experience for the community,” Russell said.  “My favorite part is the two days of cooking because it is an opportunity for me to share what I have learned from my family with fellow students and faculty. More importantly, I am able to learn from my peers as I help them with their dishes. Food is an incredibly interesting aspect of different countries because each culture has unique ingredients, spices and recipes, so it is really fascinating for me to see the variation of dishes and how they are prepared throughout the weekend.”

Chengrong Li, ’18, is one of the chefs at International Dinner. This is her second year volunteering.

“The International Dinner is the culture compromise. Different culture has  different standards of cooking,” Chengrong said. “When my assistant insists that my dishes are fine, I am still not satisfied the quality of the food. It is interesting to see what is going on behind the scene.”