Inter-Club Council navigates a World Culture Exchange

The ICC congregated on Thursday for their first meeting of the spring semester.

By Andres Sanchez, Staff Writer

The Inter-Club Council delegates discussed the upcoming World Culture Exchange, club day’s food authenticity, and club day events.

In an ICC meeting that remained unofficial due to some clubs lacking recertification, club advisors brainstormed upcoming events and how to draw more student participation. In the approaching World Culture Exchange event, clubs will adopt, inform and represent different world cultures to students on April 19 at the Student Union Plaza. ICC Chair and ASU Vice President Ani Batmazyan mentioned a possible collaboration with Connecting Culture to provide cultural artifacts for the occasion.

The clubs discussed using diverse art, music or academic articles for the event, but serving culturally-specific food has proven to be a challenge. Club advisors asserted that the LACCD joint lease agreement with Pacific Dining limits the authenticity of cultural representation, due to contractual restrictions regarding students catering from outside vendors.

“The only way that we cannot use Pacific Dining is if they are not available,” explained Council Advisor Monica Flores. “If they don’t respond to you within 72 hours when you sent your initial email we would then need to reach out to Mr. Manzano, and he has to request waiver from Dr. Gribbons.”

Pacific Dining Food Service Management is the vendor which operates at all nine LACCD campus cafeterias, vending machines, food stands and catering. The Northern California business landed a 10-year joint-lease agreement with the district in 2017, shortly after facing scrutiny from previous local food service provider, Falafelicious Catering.

Pacific Dining provides a nine-page catering menu offering an assortment of items that can be summarized as a traditional American melting pot. The conflict in Thursday’s meeting arose when the clubs discussed bringing authentic cultural dishes from outside vendors.

“I would like to know where that is written for us as club leaders telling us that we have to do that,” said Valley Collegiate Players Club Advisor Diana Rosero. “To force us to use a place that isn’t even friendly to us when we go to the counter is not okay.”

The VCP is a student run theater club. Their advisor, Rosero imparted a lack of transparency regarding coordination of club events and restrictions the school may place on events. Rosero described previous successful events like karaoke night at the Halloween Carnival, which resulted in significant student participation.

Abilities Club advisor, William Craig, suggested having contests like open mic nights or rap battles where students can win prizes.

“We can get the community involved by putting the word out to the community we are having this contest, we can let Grant High School know,” said Craig. “Specifically with the Abilities club, we deal with the Regional Center and other places like that.”

The Inter-Club Council is next scheduled to meet March 16 at 1:00 p.m. for club advisors. The next ASU Executive Council meeting will be held on February 28 at 2:00 p.m. which welcomes Valley students to participate.