A Night of Turkish Delight

A Night of Turkish Delight:
President Barron attends “A Turkish Evening” at the Center for Global Engagement

The Center for Global Engagement held “A Turkish Evening” during its fifth annual Cultural Dinner Series on Thursday, April 15.

“The Cultural Dinner Series serves as a fundraiser toward establishing an endowment for international student scholarships,” said Cynthia Green, the director of the CGE. “At the same time, it provides an opportunity for many community and campus people to learn more about different cultures through food, music, and art featured at each of the dinners.”

Turkish hors d’oeuvres were served at the reception, and Atlanta-based chef Erdogan Uduk prepared an authentic four-course Turkish dinner. Turkish artwork by Pamir Thompson was on display, while live Turkish music performed by Mukhammed Tairov and Raim Tairov contributed to the event’s lively ambiance.

Students from the Dedman School of Hospitality earned internship credit by assisting Uduk in the kitchen and serving guests. “Their help has been invaluable,” said Green, noting that they have been on a rotating schedule since 8 o’clock in the morning.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held to celebrate the opening of the CGE’s new Turkish-themed conference room. The room’s furnishings were donated by the Istanbul Center in Atlanta, a not-for-profit nongovernmental organization that seeks to promote intercultural dialog for peaceful living in the Southeastern United States.

Florida State University President Eric J. Barron was in attendance and shared the ribbon-cutting honors with the Istanbul Center’s Director of Educational Programs Gurkan Ekicikol.

For the past five years, the CGE has held its Cultural Dinner Series to celebrate FSU’s diversity. Previous Cultural Dinner Series countries include China, India, France and Germany.
During the dinner, guests voted for next year’s Cultural Dinner Series country. Thailand, Korea, Peru and Spain were on the ballot.

“The Center enriches the FSU community [by] providing a variety of intercultural programs that bring together and connect international and U.S. students, scholars, faculty and staff,” said Green.

To further this mission on a regular basis, the CGE also hosts the popular International Coffee Hour every Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with free beverages and snacks.

For more information, contact Cynthia Green at cgreen2@admin.fsu.edu.

--originally published in the FSView, April 19, 2010.