Hillel, Raza Share Food, Cultures

About 45 students gathered in the Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel dining hall last night to munch burritos and potato latkes to the strains of Spanish music.

The "Traditional Foods" study break, sponsored by Hillel and Raza, "provides us with the chance to get together two of the groups that really don't meet [on campus]," said Pedro Orozco '96, the organizer on the Raza side of the event.

About 15 students from the two groups convened in the Hillel kitchen to prepare traditional foods for the gathering. Raza members made Mexican style rice, tostadas, burritos, refried beans, and picadillo--a ground beef mixture.

Hillel participants prepared the festive Hanukkah latkes, or potato pancakes, served with applesauce.

Orozco called the event a tremendous success, and an improvement over the first one last spring. "Last year, it was disproportionately more Latino...I'm really glad that so many people from Hillel came [this year]," Orozco said.

Michael H. Pine '95, Hillel's organizer for the event, also said "this one was a lot bigger" than last spring's event, attributing the higher attendance to better publicity and good feedback from last year.

He said the groups organized the study break "to bring people of differentcultural backgrounds together."

"It's always good to see a crazy idea likeburritos and latkes come to pass," Pine said.

Orozco added that "lots of people from the La Ofunction [earlier in the evening] came hereafterwards."

Members of both groups said the study break wasa successful way to promote interaction. Michal J.Geller '95 called it his "favorite event of theyear."

"I never knew Mexican food and [the Hanukkahgame of] dreidel made such a good combination,"said Jeremy L. Lizt '97

"It's always good to see a crazy idea likeburritos and latkes come to pass," Pine said.

Orozco added that "lots of people from the La Ofunction [earlier in the evening] came hereafterwards."

Members of both groups said the study break wasa successful way to promote interaction. Michal J.Geller '95 called it his "favorite event of theyear."

"I never knew Mexican food and [the Hanukkahgame of] dreidel made such a good combination,"said Jeremy L. Lizt '97