"Good meatballs" is not the kind of comment one normally would expect to hear in the offices of International Studies and Programs.
But the ISP annual Holiday Open House held Wednesday transformed three floors of the International Center from quiet corridors into hallways bustling with festive people, colorful decorations and unique food - lots and lots of food.
"It's a wonderful chance to talk with international folks and try foods from different regions," said Dawn Pysarchik, associate dean of International Studies and Programs. "It's very eclectic and very open."
Amid bites from her own plate of goodies, Pysarchik explained that each of the studies centers associated with ISP were featuring free food to coordinate with the specific region of their program.
"We want every world region represented because MSU is everywhere," she said.
Starting around noon, students, faculty and staff roamed the three floors of the ISP offices, pausing to chat with one another while sampling the wide variety of international fare. Treats were available from nearly every office involved, from the African Studies Center to the Center for European and Russian Studies.
Alberto Nickerson, a 2003 graduate, said that many of the dishes outside the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, or CLACS, were prepared to represent typical meals from that area.
"We have rice and chicken, which is a very standard dish," he said. "Not all this is exactly authentic - we have chili here, but even that has some ingredients from the New World."
Nickerson, who works with CLACS outreach programs, set out more treats for hungry visitors while explaining how ISP programs are good resources for students. Computer science graduate student Jian Li said he likes to visit ISP offices for help.
"I do come here to seek some advice about my studies here," Li said. "There are cultural differences, although I didn't come to any culture shock when I first came here."
Li, an international student, said he occasionally visits ISP offices for help with traveling and visa applications. But on Wednesday, he had ventured over to sample a few desserts.
"A friend e-mailed me about it," he said. "I just came by."
The Holiday Open House has become a tradition for everyone involved with ISP - so much of a tradition that many attendees couldn't recall how long the annual event has been held.
"It's a real tradition," Pysarchik said. "We do this every year to wish everyone a happy holiday, whatever holiday they celebrate."
