Food makes the world go ‘round or, in this case, food is displayed from all round the world.

Led by Religion and Ethics teacher Dr. David Moseley and the Global Education Initiative, which he heads, the Global Potluck took place on October 27, 2023. This year, the banquet’s focus was on international dance, with trivia and performances from students.

“I think it’s just a chance to showcase our incredible diversity,” Dr. Moseley said, “I think one of the most basic things we do as human beings is to break bread together. When you gather together at a table and eat together, everyone is welcome, everyone is equal, everyone is included.”

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Summer Hu

Food from a variety of places — ranging from Indian to African cultures — were shared buffet style during the earlier parts of the festivities.

Food from all over the world, ranging from Greek dolmades or rice-stuffed seaweed packages to several platters of samosas from India, lined the tables that encircled the terrace. When people share their culture through food, Parent volunteer Dr. Therese Collins (Ariadne (‘26), Athena (‘29), and Olympia (‘30) Georgiou) described the scene as “magical.” “What’s so wonderful to see is that there is this pride and enthusiasm or drive to want to share and educate our friends at a deeper level about who we are,” said Dr. Collins. 

The potluck doesn’t just benefit those sharing their culture. “You always learn something new about someone who you didn’t know had roots in one country,” Ariadne, one of the Greek dancers who performed at the potluck, said, “For example, I had a friend I knew was Thai and Chinese, but I found out today that she is actually a quarter Indian.” When feasters went to the sign-in table, name tags, along with stickers with flags from all around the world, were provided. Diners could show off their heritage with their flags; many people sported multiple flags, a testament to each person’s unique identity. 

The global potluck welcomes everyone. Dr. Moseley noted that there had been some confusion around who could attend in the past. This confusion resulted in multiple changes in the name of the potluck, going from “international potluck” to “heritage potluck” to finally “global potluck.” “We hope that people don’t feel that you have to have international heritage outside of the United States in order to attend,” Dr. Moseley said. 

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Summer Hu

Juniors Nirvana Shiwmangal, Sashi Chuckravenen, Lillian Franqui, and Bella Combs enjoyed Korean Japchae or glass noodles and a coconut-almond jelly dessert.

Along with food, dance is also another form of cultural expression. Last year, the form of entertainment was international music, with an Afro-Cuban band performing at the event. This year, two groups took center stage and performed dances from the Greek and Indian tradition. Sisters Ariadne, Athena, and Olympia are part of a Greek dance group outside of Bishop’s. “It’s just a different part of our lives that we don’t really talk about at school, so it’s kind of cool to show that we don’t just do sports and academics, but there is a part of our culture that we practice,” said Athena. 

The potluck is part of the Global Education Initiative’s mission to “Think critically and mindfully about diverse cultures, worldviews and their place in the world” as well as “Cultivate understanding, empathy and a sense of belonging within and among diverse communities.” The third aspect of their mission is to “Act to address issues of equity and justice, locally and globally.”

Collaborating with student affinity groups last year, some of the events the Global Education Initiative organized were the guided Iftar during Ramadan, the Diwali celebration, and Lunar New Year celebrations. 

Dr. Moseley started the Global Education Initiative over a decade ago in 2006 when he came to Bishop’s. While in the past the Global Education Initiative had a student-led council, the group is now mostly composed of parent volunteers eager to partake in its mission — although Dr. Moseley expressed interest in reviving the student leadership group if any students show interest. One of his goals is to encourage students to be “agents of change” in the world. 

Previous events led by the Global Education Initiative were a human rights day, where students could listen to speakers on panels and watch movies in a rotating fashion. Other events included a global fair and empowerment week. The Global Education Initiative is also in the works of reviving its international travel opportunities. While stalled because of the 2020 pandemic, in the past, students were able to go to India, Italy, Cambodia, and Africa to learn about other parts of the world. Dr. Moseley himself has led nine trips to the developing world. 

“At Bishop’s we’re so lucky to be a small community, but within a small community we really do represent a larger global community, so I think that gives students an opportunity to have insight into places far beyond the walls of Bishop’s,” said Dr. Collins.

Indeed, the global potluck signifies the importance of global education, while in the process broadening culinary tastes — and filling peoples’ stomachs.