Proceeds from Germany’s table went to ULM’s greenhouse

Tables with food from all over the world filled the SUB Ballroom, spreading culture, love and awareness of ULM’s expanding greenhouse.

Marcelo Gomez, a senior biology major, said the fair is a calling to the traditions of many different countries and a way for students to spread their culture to other students.

Gomez said they always run out of food early.

He is the resource director for the international students. The officers for the international students, along with volunteers, are the ones who put together the fair every year.

“I love this place,” said Gomez. “I usually come here and spend like ten bucks and eat food from everywhere in the world.”

Gomez said the students really know how to cook and it’s healthy.

“It’s way better than spending six bucks at taco bell,” he said. “My favorites are always the Middle Eastern countries. I like India.”

Senior Isabelle Rocher brought crepes made with a recipe from her great grandmother, along with apple cake and other dishes.

“I’m very attached to my family,” said Rocher. “I’m far away and I don’t have my family here so I try to cook and actually have the taste from back home. I miss French food a lot.”

All of the dishes Rocher prepared for the fair came from her family. Her mother sends them to her to cook and enjoy.

Rocher is from Bressuire in the northwest of France near Normandy.

She came here four years ago for tennis and a degree in marketing and management. She graduates this May.

The International Food Fair also gave another group of students the opportunity to spread the word about ULM’s greenhouse. All the proceeds from the Germany table went towards fixing up the greenhouse.

Matthew Herron, a biology grad student, said the idea to use the Germany table to fund-raise for the greenhouse was a group effort.

“We were just throwing ideas around one night very late on campus,” Herron said.

Kevon White, a biology grad student, said the Germany table started when him and a German student in his lab realized Germany wasn’t represented at the International Food Fair.

Looking back at its success and thinking about how to raise funds for the greenhouse, they decided it would be a good idea to combine the causes.

Herron said it’s been a student-driven effort since the beginning.

Students have been chipping away at the greenhouse, to clean it up, since 2009 when a graduate student before him noticed that the building wasn’t being taken care of.

The greenhouse doesn’t have an automated water system. Students and volunteers are watering it everyday by hand and there is still a lot of work to be done.

Herron said that maybe there could be a community garden in its future where students could grow their own food, but it wouldn’t be possible without student involvement.

“One of our main goals right now is to involve students and try to make the greenhouse a place worth caring about, a beautiful place where students can hang out,” Herron said.

They plan to get a bench back there and turn the place into a nature sanctuary with lots of trees and a birdhouse.

“We’ve got lots of trees growwwing so overtime as they grow up, it will be like a mini forest,” said Herron. “There are so many cool things about it.”

Herron believes the greenhouse could be a great place for students to enjoy themselves, but it’s also useful for biology classes. There are several labs just about plants and they use the greenhouse regularly.

Sameer Wadhwa, a junior biology major, said he heard about the greenhouse from Herron in a bio lab and decided to participate in the Germany table.

“I thought it would be really neat to work with the greenhouse, because when I was younger I wasn’t really exposed to plants or anything of that,” said Wadhwa. “I wanted to learn more, get involved, for my enrichment.”

Herron said he, White and Wadhwa have been a close team during this and that Wadhwa was very gung-ho about it. They raised $95 for the greenhouse through the International Food Fair.

“Not bad for a first fundraiser,” said Herron. “Sometimes you make money and sometimes you generate notice for your cause. So even if we didn’t make a ton of money, people got the word.”

The boys hope that maybe one day they can start a garden club. Wadhwa said any students interested can contact them for more information.

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