Eating and learning rolled into one event

By The Beacon | November 14, 2012 9:00pm
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Students learn to make sushi as part of International Education week

Freshman Jazmine Santayana carefully rolls out her rice to create her sushi rolls. More than 20 students turned out to learn the art of sushi rolling for International Education Week. (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)

By Hannah Kintner, Staff Writer kintner13@up.edu

Dip your hands in a bowl of water, clap them together boldly, and you've finished the first step in the sushi making process.

Students from across campus had the opportunity to learn how to handcraft their own Japanese cuisine at the second annual sushi workshop on Nov. 13, hosted by International Club, as part of International Education Week. Bon Appetite's sushi chef Howard Van Divner conducted the event, as students drank green tea and miso soup while learning to roll sushi.

Van Divner started as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant, but slowly worked his way up the ladder to become a sous chef.

"I've always had a fondness for any kind of Asian food," Van Divner said while recalling the events which helped him to become a sushi chef.

Admiring the sushi bar in the restaurant, Van Divner asked to be trained to make sushi and was obliged. He has been a sushi chef for 12 years and takes great pride in his work. At the even on Nov. 13, he taught more than 20 students to make tuna, salmon and hamachi sushi.

"I'm a sushi junkie," sophomore Emily Biggs said, "So, the idea of actually getting to learn how to make it was very appealing."

Biggs and her roommate have sushi mats in their dorm room, although they've never actually made sushi. The girls are excited to apply their new knowledge of sushi making in the near future.

James Farr, one of the coordinators of the workshop, and treasurer of the International Club was very pleased with the event, believing it to be better than last year's.

"[Last year] a lot of people just came in, made sushi and quickly left," Farr said, "but now since it's kind of a classroom setting right now, people are staying longer and are more engaged in the activity."

All students stayed until the end of the workshop and the event concluded with a sushi feast.

There are still plenty of International Education Week activities to partake in. Check out the calendar below to see if any of these fun educational events interest you!


Sophomores Mia Vetter and Sophomore Emily Biggs practice rolling sushi during the International Education Week sushi class. (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)

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