More than 100 students packed into the Darla Moore School of Business’s pavilion room Wednesday to celebrate Iranian culture through food. Persian Food Night was part of the International Student Association’s International Education Week (IEW).
Julie Medlin, one of the directors of IEW in attendance said the overall goal of the program is to “use this week to promote global exchange.” She said that of the 1,400 international exchange students at the university, between 50 and 60 are Iranian.
According to Medlin, by bringing the students together in one place, it allows for friendships to be made not only between exchange students, but also with American students. For her, exchange is not a one-way street, but a means of transferring ideas to both sides.
According to Sara Chizari, a third-year veteran volunteer, another purpose of the event is to “introduce people to Persian tastes.”
Maria Hosseinipour, former Vice President of the Iranian Student Organization, likes attending events like Persian Food Night because it allows for an open communication.
“It’s for meeting new people,” she said. “I want to know how they feel about us.”
She admitted that the event was difficult to organize, but she was thankful so many people were in attendance and eager to participate in such an exchange.
University President Harris Pastides and Patricia Moore-Pastides were also in attendance, showing their support for Carolina’s international community.
“It’s important not to view Iran as an ancient place, but as a modern place,” Pastides said. “The problem is that our people don’t know enough about the Iranian people.”
He spoke of his Cypriot heritage, saying that the wars between the Greeks and Middle-Easterners were responsible for the massive cultural fluidity between the two places. He even admitted that spending time in Iran was on his bucket list.
“Patricia and I are very loyal to this organization,” he said.
Moore-Pastides said she’s glad to see such a diverse population of students together.
“It’s wonderful, really, to have international students on campus” she said. “It’s great for us all to get together and realize our similarities.”
But for some, the event stretches beyond the university. Haleh Rezvani and Shaharam Ilkhani are Iranians who came to Columbia by way of California.
“We lived here for a few months and found some friends here," Ilkhani said. "It’s been a very good experience."
Rezvani and Ilkhani were greeted by Doreen Corley and her husband. Corley, a small woman in her 80s, spoke to the couple in what seemed to be perfect Farsi.
“They lived in Iran longer than we did,” Ilkhani said, laughing.
As it turns out, this was true.
“Fifty-nine years ago last night we got on a ship to go to Iran,” Corley said. She and her husband ran an orphanage for 25 years in Iran. “We cried when we left, but Iran never left our hearts.”
After a short speech from Pastides, attendees were invited down a buffet-style food line where plates were filled to the brim with various savory dishes. Tea was also served and students took full advantage of a hot meal.
What for some was a first experience, was a taste of home for others.
“The music is accurate,” Rezvani said, referring to what was playing over the sound system as guests milled about. “The food is accurate. It’s like home cooking, yes."
The long tables in the pavilion room filled with students from all backgrounds chatting over long-grain rice and grape leaves. Mehdi Famouri, a graduate assistant at the university, shared what the event meant to him as he stood in line for his turn at the buffet.
“No matter who you are or where you go, everyone agrees on one thing: food,” he said. “If everything tastes good, then everything else is good.”