Friends of the International Center, at UC San Diego Newsletter Volume XLVI, No.8 April 2019 President’s Column Since its inception, Friends pro- and prepared our food; and to a grams have always embraced world larger than ourselves. For- food, understanding the impor- give the New Age reference, but tance of food and its ability to when we eat, we are present and bring people together in a way living in that moment, and it is in that nothing else can. The sharing that moment that we are able to of food is like breaking bread, it’s very reach across any divide and dis- symbolic.—Robert Irvine (Con- cover the humanity of our fellow temporary Chef) diners, and the simplicity of living It is easy to say food holds connected side-by-side without this power because food is a uni- socially contrived barriers. versally shared, quotidian ne- Through exposure and dis- and ways of living outside our cessity; but, in my opinion, this cussions related to food, we be- own, and generally leave with a explanation is far too cold and come comfortable with cultures new-found respect for what be- clinical. Food is much more than providing us required calories to sustain our physical beings: food is our culture, food shapes our Proposed Slate of Officers identities, food provides us com- At the Friends March 12, 2019 Board of Directors meeting, the Nominating fort, food conjures memories of Committee, consisting of Jean Selzer, Georgina Sham, with Linda Ferri home, and food provides a forum as chair, proposed the following slate of officers for the year 2019-2020. for community to take root. The motion was unanimously approved, and the following slate will be Whether we sit around a table presented to the membership for a vote at the Friends Annual Member- or stand on a sidewalk, we be- ship Dinner to be held on Tuesday evening, May 21, 2019, at the Student come equals with those around us Services Center’s Multipurpose Room. embarking on a culinary journey together … our individual identi- ties, ethnicities, religion, econom- ic class, and politics give way to Slate of Officers to Be Placed in Nomination the common and shared pursuit for the Year 2019-2020 and enjoyment of our proverbial President: Katya Newmark “breaking bread” together. When Vice President, Membership: Georgina Sham we take a bite and savor the fla- Recording Secretary: Jean Selzer vors exploding in our mouths, Treasurer: Linda Ferri we immediately share a connect- Corresponding Secretary: Renate Schmid-Schoenbein edness to nature; to the strangers who have grown, transported, Page 2 fore was foreign to us. Friends daily programs open Friends Dinner Social: the door to a wealth of never-end- ing discussions about food: e.g., #SpainInDetail where is it polite to slurp your soup —by Katya Newmark and should you change your per- sonal practices to conform to a cul- Our final Friends Dinner Social of this academic year takes us to the ef- ture where your behavior might be fervescent land of Spain, with its catchy slogan #SpainInDetail. From our perceived as impolite? Attend our reception icebreaker/game to our post-dinner flamenco performance with English conversation programs to UC San Diego’s own Dean of Undergraduate Education, John Moore, on share in discussions like this. At- guitar, you will become immersed in the energy and vitality that Spain is tend our daily programs and you known for. To this energy, add the undeniably delicious Spanish cuisine might be treated to Lynn Jahn’s with a menu featuring both well-known and lesser-known, iconic Spanish American pineapple cake, or to dishes, and you will leave the evening feeling fully sated: Caroline Luciani’s French crêpes, or���������������������� to a wide variety of �Asian�������� sa- Tapas: Croquetas de Pollo (Chicken Croquettes), Datilos con vories and sweets—through our Tocino (Dates with Bacon)* exchanges of food, we deepen our Sopa: Salmorejo (Tomato Soup) understanding of the world, our Bufé: similarities and differences, and • Pollo al Ajillo (Garlic Chicken) even begin to appreciate the nu- • Albondigas (Meatballs) ances between rice from Iran, rice • Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Omelet) from Mexico, rice from Japan…. • Alubias con Arroz (Beans & Rice) Our Visit an American Home • Espinicas con Garbanzos (Spinach with Garbanzos) program is all about food as a uni- • Ensalada de Rúcula, Uva y Almendra con Vinagreta (Arugula versally recognized gesture of hos- Salad with Grapes and Marcona Almonds with a Vinaigrette pitality—we are always looking Dressing) for more hosts! If you really want • Postre: Crema Catalana (Spanish Custard) to make a friend, go to someone’s *vegetarian tapas available upon request house and eat with him. The people who give you their food give you their For additional information and reservations please visit: heart.—Cesar Chavez https://fdsspain2019.eventbrite.com And, you have only to read Please make your reservations quickly, and no later than April 12th, our pre- and post-evening event since space is limited and each of our Friends Dinner Socials has sold out! articles to appreciate that through food, Friends continues to fulfill its missions fostering a sense of Make Your Reservation: community. One-by-one, through new connections made and a sense Friends Dinner Social: Spain of optimism borne through the Saturday, April 20, 2019, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., shared experience of an evening’s Village 15th floor meal, we leave emboldened to https://fdsSpain2019.eventbrite.com help change the world. As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a Membership merrier world.” I look forward to seeing you We are happy to report the names of several new members; they are: Teresa at our next Friends Dinner Social, & Dick Norris, Pamela Omres, Alysson & Travis Satterlund, and Klaas featuring the food and culture of Van Der Wey & Jason Woltman. Spain. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Alysson Satterlund, had hoped Katya to join Friends at our upcoming Annual Dinner in May, but sadly other Katya Newmark commitments are taking precedence. Please welcome our new members to the family of Friends. [email protected] April 2019 Friends of the International Center, UCSD Newsletter Page 3 Weavers —by Ruth Newmark Nancy Homeyer called to my at- Numerous attendees at our tention an article in The New York evening events have raved about Times (February 19, 2019) titled “A the opportunity to meet people of Nation of Weavers,” in which the different ages and backgrounds. social commentator, David Brooks, Upon attending our recent Ethnic Lauren with cork box filled with tulips describes how the current state Dinner, Sridip Pal, a brilliant recipi- of fragmentation and dissension ent of a Friends fellowship (see his Lauren might like and placed them in our country has led the Aspen scholarship report on p. 9), wrote in one of her cork boxes. “I thought Institute, of which he is an Execu- the following day: “Let me know it would be nice to give her a little tive Director, to start an initiative if there are other events like this. I token of our appreciation.” to counter this growing division. would love to attend and mix with Weavers, according to David Called, “Weave: The Social Fabric diverse people; in fact, I hardly get Brooks, “live for others and are Project,” it aims to counteract isola- a chance to mix with people outside more joyful as a result.” Small acts tion, which it considers one of the Physics, so this is an excellent op- of kindness bring us together, build- roots of our problems, by building portunity for me.” ing community by community: community. As Brooks travels By no means are Friends efforts creating weavers. around the United States, he is to build community limited to mak- encouraged to find that on a local ing our international scholars and level there already are many people families feel wanted. Building com- engaged—either individually or as munity is inherent in our outreach Friends part of an organization—in build- far and wide. Let me illustrate with ing community. the following story. February 2019 It occurred to several of us that Our President, Katya Newmark, Volunteer Hours: Friends of the International Center has established a fine relationship FTEs is a fine example of weavers.� fter with the wait staff at our special 906 = 5.15 all, combatting isolation and bridg- dinners, in part by always sending ing cultural divides are underlying them a note of thanks. Commenting aspirations of our programs, be it on the February23 Indian Dinner, through our conversation groups Roy Givon, the owner of the bar ser- Eleanor tum Suden or involvement in crafts, tai chi vices we use, replied: “It is always a or yoga, or cooking, or teaching pleasure to get your e-mails by the Right before the Newsletter was to nursery rhymes to children. next morning, with kind words and go to press, we received the sad Volunteers in the Friend Resale great pictures. I will make sure to news of the death of Eleanor tum Shop speak of the sense of cama- share those with Lauren,” Lauren Suden, a Life Member of Friends raderie formed among the group; being our usual bartender. who held numerous Board posi- participants in our Wednesday Cof- As Katya tells it: “Lauren keeps tions, including serving as Friends fee program report having forged the corks for us, which are often President from 2009-2011. friendships that have kept them given to Liz [Fong Wills] to give to Eleanor worked for many from feeling lonely; guests to our Ginny Young, who uses them for years in the Scripps Institution of Visiting an American Home express craft projects.