Whether one eats food simply for necessity, or for enjoyment, no one can deny the impact food has had on communities and cultures around the world. Although RHS is a blip on the world’s radar, our community has taken part in the variety and diversity of food worldwide. Presented at Roosevelt by RHS culture clubs, Bite Nite is an event for clubs to set up tables and sell food from the culture their club represents. Having the event during diversity week further points out the multicultural acceptance that RHS strives to hold.
Having served as both a fundraiser for clubs and an engaging get together full of food, friends, and community, Bite Nite gave “clubs like Japanese or Korean club [the opportunity] to share traditional foods that expose people to new cultures. Overall it is a unifying experience for Roosevelt students and staff as well as members of the community” says Kylie Knowles, an ASR member who is associated with the Bite Nite Committee. She noted that Bite Nite is a night for new people to meet, eat delicious food, and learn about different cultures students at RHS are not normally exposed to in their everyday lives.
Similarly, Erin Berry, the president of Korean club, shares that Bite Nite is also a place for clubs to come together and see what each other has to offer the community. She explained that normally, culture clubs meet after school with mostly the regular club members who show up for every meeting. Furthermore, Bite Nite opens up the existence and presence of clubs to those unaware of the power they have in strengthening the community.
“Learning about the deeper meaning of a culture through food is an inviting way to become more culturally aware, which was why I really enjoyed having my club participate in [Bite Nite],” says Berry. Although food ran out quickly for some clubs, parents and students alike were eager to continue approaching tables and talk to members about the culture their club represents. Though sales were better in previous years, because food was sold at lunch for everyday of diversity week, having the event at night provided a more involved environment where people more fully understood why they are eating the food provided.
Bite Nite seems to have been a successful event both in previous years, and this year. While having the event at night has ever so slightly affected club profits, people have enjoyed becoming more engaged in the cultures presented, compared to simply buying food and then leaving the stand. Bite Nite has once again successfully provided a welcoming atmosphere of unique cultures which brought unlikely people together, further building our community.
Photos by: Natalie Kauper
