Sold-out celebration part of International Education Week
A diverse crowd of students, faculty and Columbia residents filled the Russell House Ballroom on Wednesday evening to participate in the Iranian Student Association’s second annual Persian Food Night.
The sold-out event was a part of International Education Week, a national initiative aimed at promoting cultural awareness.
“We try to do it at the same time as International Education Week to raise awareness of our homeland and exquisite dishes,” said Maria Hosseinipour, a third-year medical school student and member of the Iranian Student Association.
The organization served a wide variety of Persian fare, including adas polo — a Persian rice — fesenjoon — a pomegranate syrup and chicken dish — and baklava.
“The goal of this event is to show people that it is not appropriate to judge people based purely on politics. Everyone thinks Iranians are terrorists. It’s not like this. People are people. It’s a really rich culture and a very ancient culture,” said Mostafa Mobli, president of the Iranian Student Association.
Many USC students attended the event out of a desire to better understand Iranian traditions.
“Diversity rocks,” said Jalavender Clowney, a first-year graduate student. “It’s good to live outside your comfort zone and try new things.”
In addition to students, many guests of all ages and ethnicities came together to experience the Iranian cuisine. Some had longtime connections to Iran.
“We lived in Iran 25 years. We worked with Iranian refugees in Turkey for five years, and we served 46 children in an orphanage in Iran. We want to be of help to the people. We actually just got back from Turkey,” said Columbia resident Richard Corley of himself and his wife, Doreen.
Several Iranian students also attended the event to enjoy the cuisine and to connect with other Persian students.
“I moved here from Tehran last January. I like this university and the city. It’s very different from Tehran, but in a good way,” said Behrad Koohbor, a mechanical engineering doctorate student.
The Iranian Student Association hosts many other events. The next major occasion will be Nowruz, the celebration of the Iranian New Year, on March 21. The celebration will incorporate cultural performances and music, and, like Persian Food Night, will aim to provide students with a better understanding of Persian culture.
Events like those hosted by the Iranian Student Association are opportunities for students to enrich their college experience and expand their knowledge.
“Many Americans have bad thoughts about Iran. We love them. They are a beautiful people,” Corley said.
Iranian Students Association members also encouraged USC students to experience other cultural events.
“Be on the lookout for international organizations. It heightens your knowledge beyond the classroom,” Hosseinipour said. “We’re friendly, we’re fun and we’re here to make friends like anyone else.”