ACTIVITIES
INTERNATIONAL TAPAS NIGHT
I
NTERNATIONAL TAPAS NIGHT IS the Honors Living Learning Community’s signature event each year. It’s a time for community, food, and fun. In the Fall of 2021, the College hosted the event in USF’s Botanical Gardens with food from around the world and featuring treats from the Dominican Republic, England, South Korea, Germany, Italy, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and right here in Florida. Faculty presented their upcoming study abroad trips to more than 300 student participants as they sampled platanos maduros, tteok bokki, ceviche, cannoli, and more from local restaurants and caterers. Many Honors staff and students worked together to make this event a success. Honors advisor and LLC Program Director Meg Stowe oversaw the event and students Naziza Naeer Bhuiyan and Caitlyn Deam led Honors Council volunteers for months planning décor, set-up, games, and photo opportunities. Honors staff member Kylie Pontious managed event marketing and coordinated with local vendors from the greater Tampa Bay community. Gabby Bettaglio, the Honors LLC Graduate Assistant, helped the student leaders create a dazzling atmosphere with international flags, maps, music, and more. “Being an international student in the US, I love learning about other cultures through attending international events
and showcasing my own,” said Bhuiyan. “When I learned I had the opportunity to contribute to Tapas Night, I was ecstatic! What better way to learn about study abroad programs than celebrating the food from those regions? My co-coordinator Caitlyn and I tried to make it as immersive of an experience as possible by incorporating travel-themed decor, making an inclusive global playlist, and dressing up in our cultural attire while encouraging others to do the same. One of my highlights of the night was learning merengue from Dr. Davidson and dancing with Ms. Stowe! All in all, I was beyond thrilled by how well the event turned out. It will definitely be one of my best experiences at USF.” Surrounded by the beauty of the garden and twinkling lights, event participants danced the night away with a merengue tutorial by Dr. Davidson, Honors Associate Dean and leader of the Honors Dominican Republic Global Health Internship. “Perhaps it was the energetic crowd dancing with me, or the playlist of world music, or the chance to play dominoes, or the various tasty dishes from across the world, or maybe it was all of it combined; but this Tapas Night brought about a feeling of hope in me I hadn’t experienced in a long time,” said Dr. Davidson. “That was the moment I realized we were actually going to travel again, and by the end of the semester, I was dancing and eating and playing dominoes with students in the Dominican Republic.” - Meg Stowe
Top: Honors students Shalini Subramanian (middle) and Meghana Nelluri (right) pose with Dean Adams (left) at Tapas Night. Bottom: Event volunteers greeted students at the much-anticipated 2021 International Tapas Night.
JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 13
