Author: Becca Miller
As I left Thorne Patio after Taste of Oxy last Friday night, I got a call from a friend who lives in Oregon. When she asked me what I had been up to that evening, I struggled to describe the event.
“It’s a big event at Oxy with, um, food from the neighborhood – but also from groups on campus – and there’s some music and poetry and folkloric dancers in full costume, and sometimes there’s a guy who lights guitars on fire but other times he just jumps out of a car with two other guys and starts up a Michael Jackson dance party.”Later on, I realized that my night was difficult to describe because Taste of Oxy, put on yearly by the Intercultural Community Center (ICC), is a thoroughly unique event.
Where else can you get vegan stuffing, spaghetti, pad thai and falafel on the same plate? In many ways, Taste of Oxy is a winning diplomat, creating a neutral space of community where food from all over Eagle Rock is represented equally.
Panang Restaurant, Auntie Em’s and Dave’s Chillin’ & Grillin’ can peacefully work together to achieve the same goal of feeding hungry Oxy students and employees, while a Swork coffee dispenser can coexist directly next to one from Café de Leche. Did I mention that the food is donated?
The lines for food were characteristically long, winding past the mailroom as people waited to try tofu stir-fry, tamale dough, eggplant parmesan, Korean cabbage and several different kinds of fried rice, among other goodies. “I was surprised by how many different kinds of food there were,” said Carly Phillips (sophomore), who would perform later that night with Oxymorons.
Audrey Crocker (sophomore) agreed, adding, “It was great to eat all of my favorite kinds of food in one night!” As a vegetarian, my options were slightly limited, but I was impressed by how many vegan and non-meat options were available to me – definitely a step up from last year’s fare. My friends and I, in between large bites, agreed that we liked the falafel and the vegan stuffing the best, though all the food was delicious. While we ate, the Oxy Drumline provided upbeat rhythms to keep the mood energetic.
After eating, my friends and I settled in to enjoy the evening’s entertainment. The talented lineup showcased some performers that were new to the school’s entertainment scene, like Ashly Burch (sophomore), Noelle Pangilinan (sophomore), Mike Ursu (first-year) and Tania Flores (first-year).
“Ashly Burch completely blew me away,” said Kenzie Brown (junior). “The second she started singing I stopped everything.” Burch’s performance of Regina Spektor’s “Samson” was definitely a highlight, as was Pangilinan’s beautiful rendition of a song her grandmother used to sing to her. One of my favorite moments was Kristine Nowlain’s (sophomore) jazzy crooning, which kicked off the evening’s performances.
Toward the end of the night, a visible tension had started to build. Full of anticipation, the audience kept checking their programs, as if to prepare for what we all knew the last act would be. Finally, a pair of headlights was spotted cruising down the path by the Cooler. All heads turned to see the car park at the entrance to Taste of Oxy. The doors flew open and out jumped three men in white suits with black suspenders as Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” started to reverberate through the quad. Doug Locke (senior) had arrived.
This year’s medley included songs from Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, among others. I particularly loved how Locke rewrote Britney Spears’ “Piece Of Me” to reflect his own status at Oxy, a charming and ironic confrontation with public opinion that was at once hilarious and empowering. The night ended with all of us out of our seats, dancing around with him and his fellow performers Trace Wallace (senior) and Alex Safransky (senior) to Michael Jackson music.
The only problem I had with the event was its low attendance. “Sadly, midway through the program many students had already left, which was a slap in the face to the time and effort put in by the performers and the ICC,” said Adalberto Rios (junior). He attributes this to the low engagement that has characterized the Oxy student body recently. I have to agree with him. Taste of Oxy was a perfect example of how Oxy students, for all their idealism and purported cultural awareness, are generally apathetic when it comes to campus and community involvement.
Taste of Oxy is hard to describe because it is a mix of so many different groups, cultures, artists and foods. It unites many of the nuanced influences that make Oxy what it is today. Hopefully next year, more people will appreciate the power of this event and come see for themselves the unique community it represents.
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