By Ellie Honan
The Snack ‘n Chat in Lyle’s Pub is a great opportunity for free food and drinks (non-alcoholic) in Lyle’s Pub. It is geared towards enabling professors to get to know the other staff on campus as well as a diverse array of students.
“I knew that our students have many avenues of hearing from people from different backgrounds and experiences and I thought how awesome it would be to provide such an experience for our faculty and staff,” said snack ‘n chat innovater Michael Hunt, student affairs, in an email.
Though the turnout for this particular Snack ‘n Chat was small, the program has seen 40 participants and 20 leaders so far according to Hunt.
This Thursday, the participants were split among three tables and at each table there was a “host” who had brought an item that represented him or her in some way.
Samira Sadeque ’12, from Bangladesh, was the host at the first table and her item was a beaded anklet that reminded her of home where women traditionally wore similar anklets. She spoke to her table about the struggles she faced as a Muslim because of the associations that the media and general public carry about Muslims. After she spoke the table turned to a discussion about religion and acceptance in Grinnell and the ways in which Grinnell is a diverse school.
Joy Sales ‘13 was the host at the second table and brought with her pictures of her family which reminded her of home. She also offered a recipe of her favorite dish to the group, which will be emailed out to all of the participants.
Rabbi Howie, Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice, was the host at the third table and brought with him a travelling candle set and Kiddush cup—traditional Jewish items used at the start of the Sabbath—along with three books about Judaism. He spoke with his group about his identity as a Rabbi in rural Iowa and how, warm and accepting though Grinnell is, he sometimes felt a slight feeling of disconnect as a clergyman.
The discussions were interesting and offered an incredible chance to hear about students and staff members that participants may otherwise never have met. All staff members are welcome and encouraged to come to at least one Snack ‘n Chat and any students who would like to participate in a session as a host can email Michael Hunt [huntm]. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn about your fellow Grinnellians and eat free snacks in Lyle’s Pub!
