This year’s Food Fair, run by Aliso’s Associated Student Body (ASB), took place on April 29 during lunch in front of the Main Gym and Food Court. Through the uniting force that comes with people’s love for food, all the clubs of Aliso were able to gather and share diverse cultures with students and teachers, making this year’s Food Fair yet another success.
The Food Fair is an annual school event in which all the clubs of Aliso (around 130 clubs, but many work together) represent a country of their choice by bringing a dish unique to that culture, so others can then taste and learn about it.
Bella Peiffer (11) attended this year’s fair and expressed her enjoyment of the diverse tastes provided by clubs, especially highlighting the “baklava [from Greece] and the wonderful Japanese table that served delicious dumplings.”
Students, including Peiffer, were impressed by the wide array of food options that were often homemade and freshly cooked.
The event is also exciting for clubs that highly anticipate the event for the fun of attending and organizing it. The fair also has a more practical purpose, however, serving as a fundraiser for club bank accounts as well. Food is sold using a ticket currency that attendees purchase from ASB beforehand, in which one ticket is worth $1.
Bethany Cheng (11), President of the ANHS Writing Club, said, “I think it’s a good way for clubs to get…funds and also just for people to [publicize their club if they] decided not to show up to the second Club Rush.”
The ANHS Writing Club’s stand, run by Ananya Kota (11), Ella Dlima (11) and Cheng representing Hong Kong, served almond jello paired with fruit. This refreshing treat has general origins from East Asia, and it was a food Cheng enjoyed frequently throughout her childhood.
Cheng said, “[My goal] was actually to share the food with the hopes that people would like it [, and I even]… got Ms. Riley and Mr. Schniepp to try it, and they said it was very good.”
Despite the popularity of the event, some clubs were disappointed that many people were often apprehensive of trying new and unique foods, leading to fewer sales. Others also found the timing of the fair before just AP exams stressful, as clubs had to plan while also studying for exams.
Additionally, the Food Fair used to be part of a larger event called the Multicultural Week, in which other activities such as fashion shows would take place as well. However, as the event evolved, only the Food Fair remains, while multicultural week ceased the rest of its activities just a few years ago.
To compensate, ASB has been looking for other ways to encourage student exposure to other cultures, such as giving clubs the option to book out a Wolverine Plus session.
Viana Najafi (12), ASB’s Club Commissioner, says, “The administration’s currently trying to work on having more of a Cultural Week where we have Wolverine Plus sessions where students can explain a tradition in their culture or educate other students on the importance of it.”
While ASB continues to push for more diverse cultural representation on campus through additional events, the Food Fair remains a consistent school tradition, fulfilling its mission to spread cultural awareness around the school every year.
