By Matthew Roland
On Wednesday, March 7th, Ronda Burkhart’s Cultural Anthropology class came together bearing food, stories, and family traditions. The premise behind Burkhart’s Folk Feast is to create an atmosphere in which a class of anthropology students can learn about each other and about the cosmopolitan mix of cultures that make up modern American society, as it is represented in southern Colorado. The eclectic collection of food covered the full spectrum of taste and type. There was coffee and fried chicken, smoked salmon and date pudding, and even a strange Icelandic dish called Gestarettur.
Burkhart has included the Folk Feast in her anthropology curriculum for several years now, and some students enjoy it so much that they come back after completion of the course, just to be a part of the party. When asked about student involvement in the Folk Feast, Burkhart said, “Students are usually interested in their culture, they enjoy sharing their heritage.”
The Folk Feast is one of the few opportunities that students get to share their family history, and the traditions and stories that they hold dear. In turn, each student shared with the class the story behind their dish. Several of the students were too excited to stop there, and grinning, proceeded to relate an anecdote or three from their childhood or that of their parents. One student shared the story of his Omma (grandma) who grew up in World War Two Germany, while another student told of her family’s connection with an Irish independence group.
In most college classes, students get increasingly antsy as the clock approaches the designated end time of the course. A minute hand does not display the time. Rather, it is an inaudible gunshot starting the race of students out of their seats, through the door, and into the freedom of the hallway. Generally speaking, Cultural Anthropology is no different.
However, on Wednesday, the members of Burkhart’s class seemed far more relaxed, and contrary to their normal behavior, mosied out of the classroom at a relative snails pace. The Folk Feast had the desired effect. Students enjoyed learning more than usual, the teacher enjoyed teaching more than usual, and the whole class got the academic rest that they needed before mid-terms week.
Anthropology is the study of humans and their origin. Sometimes, as was the case on Wednesday, the most effective and enjoyable way to experience a foreign culture is through its food, and the stories behind it.
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