Hot and sour soup, peanut chicken and lo mein noodles greeted students as they walked into the Asian Culture Center on Thursday afternoon.
Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the ACC, caught up with new and returning students in a discussion circle as they overviewed the upcoming semester.
The good food seemed to be incentive enough to attend, freshman Sarah Bessony said. As a mother of a college student herself, Castillo-Cullather is sure to provide food during these events at the ACC.
Though the various Asian dishes attracted some of the guests to the ACC, news of IU alumnus Paul Park’s return to campus this month for an informative lecture peaked the interest of two students.
Curtis Green, sophomore and chemistry major, briefly spoke of a “stir-fry incident” last year that he said might make him want to attend the cooking demonstrations this semester.
Castillo-Cullather said the center seems to be well-known for its cooking demonstrations, but they have so much more to offer students on campus.
“A band friend of mine and I originally started coming here for the henna tattoos on Mondays,” said Mercedes Hollett, senior and 4-year returning ACC member.
Weekly events at the ACC are set to begin at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 20 with the Asian Language Learning Program, featuring informal beginner classes on eastern languages from volunteers on campus.
The ACC also provides an environment conducive for learning at its location, including the ACC lounge, Asian topic-related materials at its library, a computer lab and a conference room that facilitates its activities and seminars.
The ACC also provides a semiannual newsletter, the Rice Paper, which is a publication dedicated to featuring the Asian community on campus with profiles of students and faculty, as well as highlights of the activities they have throughout each semester.
Castillo-Cullather mentioned she also believes the center should be an environment where students feel supported and accepted.
RICER, Responding to Incidents of Casual and Everyday Racism, is a program offered at the ACC where students can gather, share and support one another on issues of racism they may encounter.
ACC program associate Sarah Moon said she enjoys interacting with the different types of students that come through the center.
After describing his hometown as the opposite of diverse, Green added he appreciates the various cultural groups IU offers on campus. He said the ACC is especially active in getting students involved in the activities and programs.
Leo Song, sophomore and undecided science major, confessed that he “finally attended one of the events” after all the emails he received from the ACC.
Castillo-Cullather smiled when Song said this because she said she feels that student involvement is a healthy and necessary part of the college experience.
