Weekly event promotes global understanding on FAMU campus

Global Coffee Hour is a new initiative on campus to spread cultural awareness that takes place each week at 5 p.m., in the Florida A&M University Rec Center. It is an opportunity for students to expand their horizons and learn about different cultures. Every week, there will be a different country highlighted. Last week, Brazil was highlighted, and this week will be Nigeria, followed by India next week.

Global Coffee Hour according to Jodi-Kaye Wade enables students to interact with each other while learning and sharing information about their native countries. There will be food native to the country of the week to give a taste of the culture. Last week, there were desserts and coffee, and a local capoeira group performed. Capoeira is a form of Brazilian martial arts that shows the connection between Africa and Brazil. Brazil was chosen to be first because FAMU currently has a Fulbright scholar from Brazil. Furthermore, the 2016 World Cup will take place there.

This week, Nigeria will be highlighted, and the meeting will be called Nigerian Koko Hour because Nigerians refer to coffee as koko. The Nigerian Union of North Florida, Incorporated will be presenting this week. A Fulbright scholar teaching Hausa, an African language, will be sharing his experiences as a Nigerian at FAMU. He will also be presenting a PowerPoint about the Nigerian exchanged student. “It is a privilege to have a Fulbright scholar at FAMU,” said Wade.

She continued, “This is an opportunity for students at FAMU – both international students and students interested in studying abroad – to talk to other international students and learn about different cultures. Plus there’s international food… It’s amazing what you can learn from good food and dialogue.”